Salgenreute Chapel: Bernardo Bader Architects transforms 200-year-old​ structure into minimalist sanctuary

Built atop rolling moors in Krumbach, Austria, the Salgenreute Chapel is the reincarnation of the existing 200-year-old Lourdes Chapel, which was beyond repair. Redesigned by Austrian practice Bernardo Bader Architects, the minimalist chapel recently won a Gold Award in the Europe-wide Best Architects 18 competition earlier this year.

The new chapel was built from wood and stone. As time passes, sunlight will gradually darken the chapel's wooden south-facing facade to black and its north facade to a silver-gray — similar to the old farmhouses in the area, the architects describe. 

Inside, the chapel conveys a reflective atmosphere. The chapel's simple wooden interior features a nave and an apse with a central window that lets natural light shine through and offers views of the landscape outside. A statue of the Madonna from the original chapel was placed on the side of the apse, instead of the center like in more traditional arrangements. 

“Anyone entering the chapel leaves solid ground and embarks on a reflective journey,” the architects say.

More project images in the gallery below.

Images courtesy of Best Architects 18.