Bosjes Chapel by Steyn Studio

Bosjes Chapel
Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Completed in December 2016, Steyn Studio’s Bosjes Chapel, is due to open its doors to the public in March this year. The new chapel, set within a vineyard in South Africa, is designed by South-African born Coetzee Steyn of London based Steyn Studio.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Its serene sculptural form emulates the silhouette of surrounding mountain ranges, paying tribute to the historic Cape Dutch gables dotting the rural landscapes of the Western Cape.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Constructed from a slim concrete cast shell, the roof supports itself as each undulation dramatically falls to meet the ground. Where each wave of the roof structure rises to a peak, expanses of glazing adjoined centrally by a crucifix adorn the façade.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Drawing poetic inspiration from Psalm 36:7, the crisp white form is conceived as a lightweight, and dynamic structure which appears to float within the valley. A reflective pond emphasises the apparent weightlessness of the structure.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Elevated upon a plinth, the chapel rises from the flat land its sits upon, providing a hierarchical focal point within its surroundings. New planting including a vineyard and pomegranate orchard create a lush green oasis on the otherwise exposed site.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Inside, a large and open assembly space is created within a simple rectangular plan. Highly polished terazzo floors reflect light internally. The undulating whitewashed ceiling casts an array of shadows which dance within the volume as light levels change throughout the day.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

This modest palette of materials creates a neutral background to the impressive framed views of the vineyard and mountains beyond. In order to keep the structural form of the roof and assembly space pure, other elements of the buildings functional programme are either hidden within the plinth, or discretely within the outer corners of the surrounding garden.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

Inspired by the simplicity of the Moravian Mission Stations established on Cape Dutch farms in the 19th Century, the chapel lacks a spire – relinquishing a sense of significance in relation to its impressive natural surroundings.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch

An open embrace which invites in, the chapel is also a space that extends outwards into the valley and mountains beyond, raising the awareness of God’s creation in the immediate environment. Source by Steyn Studio.

Bosjes Chapel
Photo © Adam Letch
  • Location: Bosjes Farm, Western Cape, South Africa
  • Architect: Steyn Studio
  • Local architect: TV3 Architects (South Africa)
  • Furniture Design: Liam Mooney Studio
  • Contractor: Longworth & Faul
  • Structural engineer: Henry Fagan & Partners
  • Mechanical & Electrical engineer: Solution Station
  • Quantity surveyor: De Leeuw
  • Planning consultant: Ron Brunings
  • Landscape architect: CNdV Landscape Architects
  • Heritage Consultants: Graham Jacobs, Elzet Albertyn & Lize Malan
  • Client: Confidential
  • Gross floor area: 430 sqm
  • Completion: December 2016
  • Photographs: Adam Letch, Courtesy of Steyn Studio
Bosjes Chapel
Site
Bosjes Chapel
Lower Floor Plan
Bosjes Chapel
Ground Floor Plan
Bosjes Chapel
Roof Plan
Bosjes Chapel
Sections
Bosjes Chapel
Sections
Bosjes Chapel
Sections
Bosjes Chapel
Image © Steyn Studio
Bosjes Chapel
Image © Steyn Studio
Bosjes Chapel
Image © Steyn Studio

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