The chapel is Alvaro Siza's project, Capela do Monte, located in Barão de São João, in Portugal's Algarve region. Capela do Monte is part of the Monte da Charneca complex, commissioned in 2016 by a Swiss-American couple living there.
Inaugurated in March of 2018, the sandy colored, 10.34 x 6.34-meter structure was built at the highest point of a hill and can only be accessed by foot. Its monolithic geometry suggests, from outside, a serenity from the inner space. The wooden furniture within the chapel were all designed by Siza and manufactured by Serafim Pereira Simões Successors of Porto.
Located on a small, cleared out piece of land surrounded by lush greenery, the chapel rises like a solid block with a slightly raised patio that connects to the rest of the building, allowing an entrance into the chapel.
- Architect: Alvaro Siza
- Photos: João Morgado
- Words: Valerie
