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A hilltop overlooking Nesvačilka
For over a century, the people of Nesvačilka, a village in the Czech Republic, wanted a building where they could come together as a community of faith. Now completed, Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel is a place of spiritual reflection, but also a building that not only shapes the local landscape, but also influences its culture, society, and heritage.
Architect Jan Říčný of RCNKSK took on the project in 2012, little knowing that it would set the studio on a 12-year journey. Říčný chose a hilltop overlooking the village for the site of this community project, making the chapel a beacon for the local people, and both a spatial and spiritual reference point. The surrounding landscape is gently undulating, with nature and greenery stretching as far as the eye can see, but with no rocks or forests in sight. The building materials deliberately contradict this, with timber and stone used as a symbol of faith and projection towards the beyond.
The building materials used for this circular chapel go beyond forming this counterpoint with nature. The gneiss stoneused for the lower section, in particular, represents the character of the Nesvačilka people themselves: determined, difficult to shape, and, sometimes, disobedient. The floor is rammed earth, while the walls are gneiss. From the walls, seven timber beams project upwards into the heavens, symbolizing the Seven Sorrows of Mary and our connection with God.
Conversely, a veil seems to descend from above, representing Mary’s tears. The 15m-long, hand-carved timber beams also freely cross the space and are crowned by a steel spire. The materials are tactile, handcrafted, and chosen to improve in appearance as they age. Both inside and outside, visitors can take all this in by looking upwards. To enhance this experience, the timber structure includes long and narrow rectangular windows, which let sunlight and moonlight filter inside.
Both the architecture and construction techniques blend history, tradition, and heritage with the modern. So, while the construction draws its inspiration from medieval techniques, it also combines them with innovative technologies of today.
Worshipers arrive at the chapel after following a tree-lined avenue. Then, after passing through the five-meter-high doors, they step into a dynamic space. The entire chapel seems timeless. What dominates is the atmosphere, the interplay of light, the acoustics, and the scents. This is a building to be experienced with all the senses.
Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel was entirely financed through donations. While this prolonged construction, it also – as Říčný points out – let the architect “critically reassess the design and carefully consider the technical and symbolic aspects, ensuring meticulous execution.”
Location: Nesvačilka, Czech Republic
Architect: RCNKSK
Completion: 2024
Built up area: 150 m2
Gross floor area: 186 m2
Client: The Roman Catholic Parish of Moutnice
Landscape planning: Eva Wagnerová
Photography by Ondřej Bouška, courtesy of RCNKSK
