Private family chapels seem to always raise a great deal of interest, but seldom to we get to share such projects, including on so ambitious as this, from the contemporary, new world. Today we can remedy that, sharing a project by O'Brien and Keane Architecture which they undertook for an undisclosed family at an undisclosed location in North America -- though based on the landscape, it would appear to be somewhere on the east coast.
The chapel is simply called "Mary's Chapel" and O'Brien and Keane set some context for us:
Mary’s Chapel is the realization of the clients’ dream to build a small family chapel for private use on a rural site; they were inspired by the Porziuncola of St. Francis near Assisi, Italy, whose volume and proportions served as a point of departure for this project. Through refinements, rooted in classical architecture, O’Brien & Keane conveyed the clients’ great appreciation for the dignity of traditional sacred architecture. The selection of construction materials and detailing reflects an intense drive for permanence, durability, and authenticity. The walls are faced on the exterior with fieldstone native to the region, resting on a base of honed green Vermont granite, and the windows, door, and eaves are trimmed with Indiana Limestone. The roof is composed of red clay tiles and standing seam lead-coated copper roofing. The custom bell, window frames and entrance door are fabricated in bronze. Limestone was chosen for the interior pilasters, bases, and matching entablature to create one unified architectural expression between interior and exterior. The church’s interior design offers marble liturgical furnishings which were designed by O’Brien & Keane to bring the highest level of detail and finish to those elements of greatest sanctity. Through the direct use of natural materials of Creation, the church design honors the Creator. As a result, Mary’s Chapel serves to offer a permanent place of intimate reflection and worship and stands as a witness to God’s presence.Let's then take a look at this interesting and inspiring project, beginning with a view from the outside through the small narthex and into the chapel proper.
As we stand in the narthex space we are greeted with a very classic looking space that is Romanesque in many of its design inspirations. The apsidal space is decorated with a series of constellations that serves as a backdrop for a crucifix.
Looking back toward the narthex one can see a simple but noble interior, accented by decorative faux columns with Corinthian capitals.
The sanctuary includes a small but noble altar, ambo and tabernacle -- not yet consecrated here as can bee seen by the absence of the relics as yet in the altar, as well as altar cloth and candlesticks. Also of note is the beautiful altar rail and decorative pavement found here.
Going along the walls are the Stations of the Cross.
Rambusch, a company with a long tradition in liturgical art, provided the various liturgical furnishings seen here in this project, a project that ended up being widely recognized for its excellence, having received the 2017 Palladio Award and the 2017 John Russell Pope Award in its respective ecclesiastical design category.
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