Cutting-edge religious architecture around the world

Capela do Monte, Portugal, by Álvaro Siza

Spearheading a new spirit-restoring retreat in the Algarve region in Portugal, Álvaro Siza has revealed the Capela do Monte – a hillside chapel at the focal point of the Monte de Chameca Center, a rural retreat for eco-and-agro-tourism, spiritual retreats and conferences. The chapel is located at the highest point of the retreat’s site, a short distance from the nearby beaches and historic sites of the Algarve coast.

Photography: João Morgado. Writer: Luke Halls

Capela do Monte, Portugal, by Álvaro Siza

Without electrical supply, heating or water, the volume relies on natural ventilation and its construction materials to monitor heat levels – insulated brick, limestone and tiles keep the chapel cool during the summer and warm in the winter. A light, minimal interior features Siza’s own designs for the chapel’s wooden cross, altar, bench and chairs, produced by Oporto-based carpenters Serafim Pereira Simões Sucessores. Additionally, tile-based murals featuring moments from the life of Jesus, also drawn by Siza, adorn the walls of the entrance, which is complimented by an open light well above.

Photography: João Morgado. Writer: Luke Halls

Skorba Village Centre, Slovenia, by Enota

Skorba, a small village near Slovenia’s oldest town Ptuj, had developed into a commuter route and suburb and lost its organic community layout. Thankfully, the opportunity to shake up Skorba’s plan came in the wake of a proposal for the development of a new village chapel. Designed by Enota, the new chapel and village centre was brought to life by a close relationship with Skorba’s villagers, who raised the funds needed to purchase the plot of land and devoted numerous voluntary hours to the construction of the new space.

Photography: Miran Kambič. Writer: Luke Halls

Skorba Village Centre, Slovenia, by Enota

Constructed from white concrete, the slanted, three-pronged structure sits at the centre of a square in the village. The main chapel space is sheltered beneath an elevated volume, which ‘creates an impression of a virtual roof and completes the structure’s form’. The new village square is a hub of community life that has been lacking in Skorba.

Photography: Miran Kambič. Writer: Luke Halls

Totihue chapel, Chile, by Gonzalo Mardones Architects

Since 1972, the rural community of Totihue in Chile had been using an old silo construct as its place of religious worship, lacking a formal chapel or church space. In 2010, when a catastrophic earthquake rendered the silo virtually unusable, it was closed. Honouring the memory of the former space, which had served the community for nearly 40 years, Gonzalo Mardones Architects collaborated with the Fundacion AIS Chile to create a new chapel, accompanied by a silo-like volume that will continue to serve the countryside population.

Photography: Nico Saieh. Writer: Luke Halls

Totihue chapel, Chile, by Gonzalo Mardones Architects

Gonzalo Mardones Architects rescued the original silo structure, which now forms part of the barn-like volume that houses the main worship space. The new silo operates as a funeral parlour and community centre, which provides complementary activities hosted by the chapel – nodding to the nostalgia of site’s past, and embedding it into the community’s future.

Photography: Nico Saieh. Writer: Luke Halls

Totihue chapel, Chile, by Gonzalo Mardones Architects

The exterior of the silo is coated with Hunter Douglas white metal plates in homage to its predecessor, whereas the new chapel space, coated in the same high quality metal plating, is dark grey. Providing shade and ventilation, the two colours postulate a dynamic juxtaposition, lending each volume its own distinct personality. Inside the chapel, pine is prevalently used, donated by Totihue’s neighbours and used to frame a large window above the altar and 14 further lower windows along the walls.

Photography: Nico Saieh. Writer: Luke Halls

Clifton Cathedral, Bristol, by Percy Thomas Partnership

Architecture and heritage experts Purcell have made Bristol’s Clifton cathedral, a key brutalist monument, fully operational again, following extensive repair work to the building’s historical fabric. Originally constructed between 1969-73 to a design by Ron Weeks of the Percy Thomas Partnership, the building has been suffering from water leakages for years, due to its large, striking roof not being entirely watertight. Due to the sensitive and historical nature of the Grade II* listed building, Purcell worked closely with the Lead Sheet Association, ensuring the restoration (including the replacement of 86 tons of lead) was undertaken with the greatest care.

Photography: Phil Boorman

Clifton Cathedral, Bristol, by Percy Thomas Partnership

Safeguarded for the future, Purcell’s partner Clifford Martin sees the works ‘magnify and celebrate its original design and detail’. Another twist to the success story is that previously inaccessible parts of the cathedral have been opened up – namely the gallery over the iconic baptistery and a formerly sealed-off staircase. This condition of the project’s funding now permits visitors to enjoy the structure both as a monument and for its religious services, in the best possible way.

Photography: Phil Boorman

‘The Morning Chapel’, Venice by Flores Prats, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

‘The Morning Chapel’ is Barcelona-based architects Flores Prats’ contribution to the ‘Vatican Chapels Pavilion of the Holy See’ for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2018, constructed in collaboration with Saint-Gobain Italia. The chapel is presented as a wall parallel to a path, with a door inviting visitors to enter the forest.

Photography: Alessandra Chemollo. Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Not a project; a reflexion’, Venice by Francesco Cellini, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Italian architect Francesco Cellini’s ‘Not a project; a reflexion’ focuses on the architectural meaning of sacred spaces with an abstract open composition of two intersecting rectangles. The chapels are curated by Professor Francesco Dal Co, Italian architecture historian and editor of Casabella magazine, who chose ten pavilions by ten different practices from across the globe.

Photography: Alessandra Chemollo. Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘No, it is not…’, Venice by Eduardo Souto De Moura, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto De Moura’s low monolithic honey-coloured Vicenza stone structure is titled ‘No, it is not…’, suggesting a meditative space rather than something sacred. Inside, a cross appears as the slenderest cut in the stone. ‘It is not a chapel, not a sanctuary and in any case, not a tomb. It is simply a place enclosed by four stone walls, while another stone at the centre might be the altar,’ he says.

Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Crosses morphed into a Tensegrity Structure’, Venice, by Norman Foster, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Norman Foster’s open-air timber chapel, ‘Crosses morphed into a Tensegrity Structure’, is likely to become the star attraction. Situated between two mature trees, the apse faces onto the lagoon. Inside, visitors can ponder on pebble-like wooden benches. Foster worked with Tecno and Maeg to realise his vision, composed of a timber bridge with a canopy created by a series of cross-shaped pylons clad in timber. On a tour of the project, the British architect called it an ‘incredible endeavour that started with the transition of the first idea of a membrane into a timber grillage’. Foster received a ‘papal dispensation’ awarded by Cardinal Ravesi at the opening ceremony of the Vatican Chapel.

Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘A nomadic chapel’, Venice by Javier Corvalán, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Paraguayan architect Javier Corvalán’s timber ‘A nomadic chapel’ is a cross-section of a cylinder, only supported by tripod constructed from Venetian bricola sunk into the ground, the shadow of a cross thrown onto the grass by the sun. ‘A nomadic chapel’ was created with Simeon Structure & Facade System, and appears to unfold into the forest.

Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Cross Chapel’, Venice by Terunobo Fujimori, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Japanese architect Terunobo Fujimori’s ‘Cross Chapel’ is a ‘stable-like’ building with a narrow door, to inspire ‘the sensation of the ascension of the Son of God when they see the cross’.

Photography: Alessandra Chemollo. Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Cross Chapel’, Venice by Terunobo Fujimori, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

The altar wall of Terunobo Fujimori’s ‘Cross Chapel’ features charcoal pieces embedded in the plaster, around the cross remains white to emphasise the gilded part.

Photography: Alessandra Chemollo. Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘A chapel as a roadside shrine’, Venice by Smiljan Radic, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Chilean architect Smiljan Radic’s ‘A chapel as a roadside shrine’ is made from pre-fabricated reinforced concrete. Radic’s cylindrical chapel features plays with scale mixing the monumental with the domestic.

Photography: Alessandra Chemollo. Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Relocatable Chapel’, Venice by Sean Godsell, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Australian architect Sean Godsell’s ‘Relocatable Chapel’, designed as a dynamic portable entity, incorporates a perimeter of low grasses in the design.

Writer: Bethan Ryder

‘Relocatable Chapel’, Venice by Sean Godsell, for Venice Architecture Biennale 2018

Sean Godsell’s portable ‘A dynamic entity capable of surviving thousands of kilometres away’ was created with Maeg and Zintek and features a golden interior, the reflective surface creating a cross.

Writer: Bethan Ryder

Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, Brittany, France by Álvaro Siza Vieira

The first church built in Brittany in the 21st century, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande has been designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. The church has two chapels, a sacristy and a central worshipping space for the congregation.

Photography: Joao Morgado

Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, Brittany, France by Álvaro Siza Vieira

Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande seats up to 126 people on the second floor of the building – the first floor holds a social and administrative function. A square platform suspended above the cylindrical church volume tempers the access of light, and holds within it lighting and ventilation equipment.

Photography: Joao Morgado

Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, Brittany, France by Álvaro Siza Vieira

Located in a local neighbourhood south of Rennes, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande is built of white concrete. Its form was designed to integrate into its urban location and echoes the shapes and sizes of surrounding residential blocks.

Photography: Joao Morgado

Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fatima, National Scouts Activities Camp, Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal by Plano Humano Arquitectos
Completed 2017

When a chapel was required at the National Scout´s Activities Camp in the municipality of Idanha a Nova in Portugal, for the XXIII National Jamboree of Portuguese Catholic Scouts, Plano Humano Arquitectos looked to the scouting experience itself for design inspiration. The team of architects drew the high gabled roof to reflect the form of the tent and created an open plan design to reference the open nature of the great outdoors, all with a simplicity that was aligned to the stripped back nature of the scouting lifestyle.

Photography: João Morgado. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fatima, National Scouts Activities Camp, Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal by Plano Humano Arquitectos
Completed 2017

Constructed a timber beams and zinc, with a length of 12m, the chapel is surrounded by a casual wooden fence, that delineates space yet remains open to visitors, and its entrance is marked by a bell. Located on a plateau with panoramic views in a clearing in the countryside, it is always in conversation with nature – the orientation of the chapel means that the sunrise and sunset illuminate the interior creating a naturally sublime effect, and a single wooden cross is framed by the landscape from all angles.

Photography: João Morgado. Writer: Harriet Thorpe  

Votive Chapel, Casnate con Bernate, Como, Italy by Mario Filippetto Architetto
Completed 2017

In Como, a reimagined votive chapel sits on a scenic hilltop at Casnate con Bernate. Constructed in response to the commune’s original 18th-century chapel becoming unreachable as a result of roadworks, architect Mario Filippetto built a new modern chapel that pays homage to its predecessor, yet has a completely modern design. The new chapel has been rotated by 45 degrees to emphasise its angular perspective, while sloping lines join to create a skylight that is connected to the entrance.

Photography: Filippo Poli. Writer: Luke Halls

Votive Chapel, Casnate con Bernate, Como, Italy by Mario Filippetto Architetto
Completed 2017

Filippetto inverted the relationship between light and material during the design process to create the sculptural form and used a pure white palette to perpetuate the holistic nature of the space: a central white gravel walkway leads directly to a parallel white marble altar, which has been engraved with celestial symbols by a local sculptor. Outside the chapel, stone benches are landscaped into the surrounding space for members of the community to spend time at the site of the chapel.

Photography: Filippo Poli. Writer: Luke Halls

Catholic Suzuka Church, Mie Prefecture, Japan, by ALPHAVILLE (Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto)
Completed 2017

In the city of Suzuka, this quirky church sits at the junction between a motorway and an ancient Edo period route that connects Tokyo to Osaka. The layered roof made of galvanised steel and constructed of overlapping arches, ascends incrementally echoing the surrounding mountainous landscape.

Photography: Toshiyuki Yano. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Catholic Suzuka Church, Mie Prefecture, Japan, by ALPHAVILLE (Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto)
Completed 2017

The religious building was designed and built in response to the growing Catholic community in Suzuka, a city known for being the headquarters for motor industry giants, Honda. A ground floor car park beneath the whole structure maximises the use of the site.

Photography: Toshiyuki Yano. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Catholic Suzuka Church, Mie Prefecture, Japan, by ALPHAVILLE (Kentaro Takeguchi and Asako Yamamoto)
Completed 2017

Gently sloping stairs bring the community into the lobby and chapel beyond where natural light floods the interior through skylights placed every five metres. In addition to the chapel, a wide open space provides space for a community hall. A sliding partition can be moved to adapt to the use of the church.

Photography: Toshiyuki Yano. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017

Han Wen-Qiang, architect and founder of ARCHSTUDIO, followed Zen principles and integrated the Waterside Buddhist Shrine closely within its rural location in China. The shrine, a place for meditation and contemplation, is buried within the earth and runs parallel to a small river, designed to avoid any tree trunks and help people to understand and co-exist with nature.

Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe  

Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017

Smoothly flowing through the site, the plan is arranged like the branches of a tree. Five spaces with different functions – including an entrance, Buddhist meditation room, tea room, living room and bathroom – curve and connect, allowing the visitor to naturally drift through the space.

Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe  

 Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017

Filtered through the trees, sunlight enters the meditation room through a skylight. Restful shadows are cast onto the concrete walls, which have been impressed with strips of pine wood to create a wood grain pattern. Textures and colours complement each other across the shrine – bespoke furniture is made from a light grey wood; interior flooring is made of a light terrazzo, and outside in the courtyard smooth white pebbles are grouted with cement.

Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe  

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Seville, by Pablo M Millán
Completed 2017

An extension to the Parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary in the heart of Seville, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a simple container of light and peace designed by architect Pablo Millán as a sancta santorum – a small scared space specified for an intimate encounter with God. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Seville, by Pablo M Millán
Completed 2017

The rectangular roof light sunken into the ceiling and, in collaboration with the white walls and pale marble stone tiling that flows up from floor to the walls, brings a luminosity to the space, that also serves the adjacent church as a source of light. The clean geometry and extreme minimalism references the Franciscan style of architecture that is free from adornment and has a cool, sobering effect on worshippers. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016

Christianity has been in China since the 14th century, via Orthodox Russians and missionaries from Macau. It’s a growing population – destined to become the world’s largest – and in Jiangsu province, churches are rising to meet demand. However Neri & Hu’s chapel, in the silk town of Suzhou, is hardly familiar as such. Celebrated for embracing modern silhouettes and industrial materials, the duo has designed an enigmatic sanctuary surrounded by the city’s trademark canals. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb

Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016

Visitors approach the white cube along labyrinthine walls of antique brick laid at perpendicular angles. The central ‘box’ is punctured with windows at all levels, trading views for natural light. Yet the designers have overlaid a scrim of perforated metal, which protects privacy during prayer and adds a sheen that allows interior light to glow through after dark. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb

Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016

Inside, a 12m chapel with wood-slat panelling is furnished with custom wood pews and bronze-arm globe pendants. Concrete staircases lead to a deep wood mezzanine, for internal views, and a rooftop deck, for views across the waterways. Each are spiritual in their own right. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb

The Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London by Spheron Architects
Completed 2016

Located in Woodside Park, North London, this pocket-sized chapel designed by Spheron Architects has been built for the Belarusian diaspora community, dedicated to the memory of victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. At just 69 sq m and designed to accommodate 40 worshippers, the Belarusian Memorial Chapel is a unique construction layered with history and context. Spheron Architects director Tszwai So, travelled to Belarus to research traditional wooden churches and buildings deserted since the Chernobyl disaster, using his findings to design the chapel. Photography: Joakim Boren. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

The Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London by Spheron Architects
Completed 2016

Elements such as the domed spire and timber shingle roof will be recognizable to Belarusians visiting the chapel, which is set in the wooded ground of Marian House, a cultural centre for the UK Belarusian community. The project is technically fascinating with its detailed and ornamental use of timber – the architects included contemporary twists such as an undulating frill at the flank of the walls on the exterior. It is, quite incredibly, the first wooden church to be built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. Photography: Joakim Boren. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

El Señor de la Misericordia, Mexico by Moneo Brock
Completed 2016

Designed by architects Moneo Brock, this landmark parish church is located in Monterrey, Mexico, in the central plaza of the new urban township surrounded by a striking mountainscape. Comprising an abstract collision of flat facades, the tallest tower rises up 43m, heralding its community function as the religious, social and educational heart of the town. The 11.5m-wide doorway, with trapezoidal canopy cantilevering off the main facade, allows the architecture of the church to become a part of the square. Photography: Belén Moneo. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

El Señor de la Misericordia, Mexico by Moneo Brock
Completed 2016

Visualising a contemporary piece of architecture using the vocabulary of traditional ecclesiastical designs, the firm looked to early Christian temple prototypes and the styles of the very first churches built in the American south-west by Friar Junípero. The plan is based on that of a basilica – with a rectangular central nave, which runs from north to south along its long axis. Moneo Brock integrated striking details within the interior design, including three stained glass windows and a design feature above the altar where the wall is cut into the shape of a Latin cross and lit from above by a skylight, which casts light across the space. Photography: Jorge Taboada

Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016

This contemporary interpretation of a traditional Qatari mosque follows the founding principles of Islamic architecture with a modernism sense of simplicity and function. Located within the Msheireb Heritage Quarter, a centre of religious and political power, care was taken to create a serene environment for prayer, considering orientation, shade, natural ventilation and water within the design. Photography: Hufton and Crow. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016

Built of concrete and regionally sourced limestone cladding, the double square plan and perfect cube shape of the mosque have been devised to the proportions of classical Islamic architecture where the use of geometry and pattern plays a role within religious activity. A perforated roof in the prayer hall casts a pattern of daylight across the space. Photography: Hufton and Crow

Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016

The stone minaret tapers elegantly towards the top, requiring a bespoke cutting method for the stone construction. Here it can be seen through the metal gates, patterned with traditional Islamic designs which enclose the courtyard and entrance pavilion. Photography: Hufton and Crow

Church Nostra Signora della Misericordia, Baranzate
Completed 2015

A town north-west of Milan has seen its well-loved 1950s church meticulously restored to its former glory. An understated modernist masterpiece, the original project was coordinated by Angelo Mangiarotti, Bruno Morassutti and Aldo Favini, and signaled an epochal shift in Italy’s religious building design and construction. Writer: Elly Parsons

Church Nostra Signora della Misericordia, Baranzate
Completed 2015

Completed almost a year ago by original designer Morassutti with the collaboration of Giulio Barazzetta of SBG Architetti, the use of a sheer glass shell creates a serene, peaceful interior at once connected to the church’s surroundings, yet enclosed by an imposing concrete vaulted roof. Inside, innovative Italian ceramic company Casalgrande Padana has implemented its characteristic modern technologies, that see the original flooring design faithfully and impressively recreated

Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015

The Kericho diocese is set in the highlands of Kenya in a vividly green spot west of the Great Rift Valley, around 250km south west of the capital Nairobi. With commanding views of the surrounding valley, terraced village and distant hills, The London-based John McAslan + Partners was commitioned for a new, beautifully articulated cathedral for the Roman Catholic congregation. Writer: Daven Wu

Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015

One of the challenges ‘was to discover a truly authentic Kenyan language for the design which would root the building in its context and the great tradition of Roman Catholic ecclesiastical architecture’, says the architects’ Aidan Potter. This was solved by inserting an enormous ascending vaulted volume beneath the clay-tiled pitched roof

Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015

Both literally and figuratively, an ineffable sense of light infuses the space. The soaring interiors are capped by a length of filtered skylight, while the nave is punched through with a vertical window. Both transepts open on both ends for natural cross ventilation

St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016

Just south of Beirut, in Lebanon’s rich Shouf Valley, St Elie church embraces the material heritage that surrounds it. Designed by Paris-based architect Maroun Lahoud, St. Elie’s is a modern take on the traditional Maronite churches found throughout Lebanon, and its white stone cladding provides a striking contrast to the area’s abundant greenery. Writer: Mary Pelletier

St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016

The church is filled with natural light by way of Lahoud’s minimal cruciform windows, carved directly into the church’s stone, and through the simplistic lined windows located above the altar and along the sides of the structure

St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016

Settled into the terraced landscape, this new place of Maronite worship centres around two square volumes that sit atop a sunken base

Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture 
To be commissioned

A church with a modern twist, Carlo Enzo’s latest proposal for a place of worship is a concrete monolith which features a ’sky chapel’, elevated walkways and a shallow pool. Imagery courtesy of UOA. Writer: Sam Rogers

Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture
To be commissioned

The 7,400 sq m church will be flanked by two concrete towers; one housing church bells and another the ’sky chapel’. Full height glass windows intend to frame views of the outside world and connect the main worship space with its natural surroundings. Imagery courtesy of UOA

Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture
To be commissioned

The building itself is a metaphor for man kind’s relationship with the divine: the towers that reflect man’s desire to ’turn his gaze to the Creator’; a sunken courtyard which symbolises death and praise of nature; and a space of prayer where a glass envelope is supported only by the structural strength of the cross of Christ. Imagery courtesy of UOA

Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015

Located in the Shanghai Museum of Glass’ courtyard, the Rainbow Chapel is the first of its kind – a chapel in a museum. Courtesy of Coordination Asia. Writer: Sam Rogers

Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015

Purpose-built as a round wedding space by award winning design agency Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design, the 390 sq m space is enclosed by vivid glass panels; translucent yet bright in colour. Courtesy of Coordination Asia

Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015

The kaleidoscopic windows give the otherwise small space height, while the structures themselves – the circle of glass and structural square surrounding it – allude to Chinese symbolism: the circle represents fullness and unity; the square, honesty and virtue. Courtesy of Coordination Asia

Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014

As though suspended from the trees of the affluent Joá neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, the chapel’s rectangular glass structure emanates a mystical orange glow. Photography: Tuca Reinés. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally

Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014

Actually built on stilts, the vertical wooden louvered structure fitted over the glass lets in just enough sunlight, as well as a sliced view onto the luxuriant tropical surroundings, while keeping the interiors cool. Photography: Tuca Reinés

Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014

The 43 sq m structure converges at the altar, its narrowest point, backed by a glass wall looking out onto the ocean, reinforcing the celestial ambiance. Photography: Tuca Reinés

Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014

This design is cutting-edge interpretation of the traditional Norwegian stave church. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally

Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014

The isolated structure’s clean angular lines culminate at the slender spire

Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014

The imposing structure reaches up to the grey skies, jutting out of the craggy landscape of Hordaland, close to Norway’s Fjord country

Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Completed 2014

Inside, the lofty interiors are accentuated by the lean flow of the horizontal timber panelling that drives the eye to the altar in one sweeping movement, where a round stained glass window provides the only break in the linear design

Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014

The church’s sleek, spare interior is both pious in its refined minimalism and impressive in its expansive, futurist lines

Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014

The 200 sq m wood and steel chapel made of two interrelated triangles gives it a medieval crown shape that is reflected in the placid waters of Nanjing’s riverfront in east China. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally

Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014

Completed in 2014, the structure looks bulky, but actually upon closer inspection, its sides - which are built in a wooden lattice pattern resembling rectangular-shaped chainmail - are light and dainty

Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014

The interior shell is painted bright white, accentuating the light falling through the strip skylight for a heightened religious experience

Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014

View of the interior lattice pattern, made all the more astounding by its all-white interiors 

Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built

After much delay due to territorial disputes between Tibet and China, the go-ahead has finally been given for Krasojevic’s project. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally

Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built

Commissioned by the city of Ordos, which may sound like a place in Lord of the Rings, it is actually found on the outskirts of the Mongolian Ordos desert where monks retreat for meditation and ceremonial offerings

Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built

The steel and aluminium spiral fossil-like design, which recalls the wave pattern imprinted on the surface of the desert’s shifting dunes, is dictated by Mongolian Buddhist rituals

The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built

Advancing on the water like an oversized zinc-clad alien rose bud, the compact chapel will stand on a discrete jetty stemming from the banks of the newly created city of Almere’s lake in the Netherlands. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally

The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built

From behind, the compact chapel seems to hover above the water

The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built

Part of the architect’s ‘Devils and Angels’ series, it will be made using foam cut with a new CNC hot-wire cutter that facilitates the making of free forms with limited waste, while the interiors will be lined with plywood. The first project to be built using this technique will be the Fraeylemaborg pavilion