St. Benedict’s Chapel (Sumvitg, Graubünden, Switzerland, 1989) Located on the outskirts of a small farming village in Switzerland, this chapel is on a slope overlooking the village. Its mysteriously dark presence and ‘raw’ interior are surprisingly sensual and warm. It has a simple form, with an intentionally singular purpose. It is one volume, with simple construction outside, sparse furnishings, and an expressive yet simple tear drop shaped volume. All activity is under one volume. By locating on such an orientation, it creates two zones: an eastern face that has an imposing height piercing the landscape while the other (north and south) taper according to the landscape. Its gentle sloped roof also hints at the fits in with the hilly landscape. At eye level, the simple form creates dramatic perspectival relationships to the landscape. The plan is in the form of a ‘half-lemniscate (a pendant ribbon), found in Leibniz’s mathematical diagrams, contributing to an orderly and mathematical organization. It can be configured to create a form associated with infinity. Despite this, in plan it can also be likened to a leaf shape, expressing an organic aesthetic or a diamond. An axis is created from the entrance to the altar (though it is not symmetrical with the building). Its construction is primeval and mysterious, like an artifact in a modern world watching over a quiet village.
Source: http://www. archdaily.com/85656/ multiplicity-andmemory-talkingabout-architecturewith-peter-zumthor/ saint-benedict-chapelplan/
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