Rwanda Church Competition
The Genocide of Rwanda where more than 1 million people lost their lives, need a strong symbol to hold their faith. Remembering Picasso’s first ‘Dove of Peace’, the graphic line drawing that is one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of peace, the chapel takes its initial shape and form.
The Chapel is ‘designed’ for the real world. This journey to the origins is not a visit to the exolisim of the primitive, but a trip to the genuine sources of design. The designed space diminishes the boundary between the interior and exterior, blending into the nature outside. The main altar represents the silence in the roaring glow of sunlight. Into the darkness and light, both mutually dependent and yet so far away from each other. Representing these antipoles for human kind into a series of shadow and lit spaces taking the devotees through strata of history of culture and civilization. The chapel follows a traditional design inspite of its contemporary approach. The bell tower and the Cross placed not only become the visible signs from the valley and around, but also calling the community of believers. The first reception space is a semi-sunken patio on one side of the axes and the existing cloister on the other. The cloister is carefully enclosed within new perforated walls, giving it a more private space for the nuns.
The altar is portrayed with nature as its backdrop putting it at a constant flux and defining the place of revelation of the divine. It also guides the devotees to their path within the Chapel as it is positioned on the central axis. The prime feature of the project is the expressive tectonic character given by the usage of locally available materials, a sublime handling of the light and the simple treatment of the space. From the moment you enter the chapel, the colors and the games of lights and shadows will surprise the devotees exposing them to the divine in its true form, blended with the nature.
Collaboration with Rahul Palagani & Rishabh Sharma
