A CHAPEL FOR AIR FORCE VILLAGE (2009)
with: John Berry and Felix Monasakanian.
Purposefully detached from the hospital, the chapel provides an ambiance and aura suited for religious thought, congregation, and a personal spiritual experience. This gesture, respecting the program’s required travel distances, summons one out of the hospital atmosphere, transitioning to a more tranquil environment. Glazed courtyards define the building masses, isolating the central sanctuary, while allowing natural light to penetrate throughout and provide views beyond. A paved courtyard, with a lone Jacaranda tree, symbolizes peace and silence and buffers the space between the existing medical wing and chapel. Water filled courtyards part to create the entrance to the central sanctuary. Candlelit rods emerge from the water in the eastern courtyard, conveying a sense of reflection and remembrance. The western courtyard houses a lone island filled with seasonal plantings as a welcoming element of joy and life.
The central sanctuary is a simple ellipse shaped plan with a shallow dome, which features an oculus rose window. The dome is transformed by tilting the oculus to pick up southern light, informing the structural system of the dome. Stained glass is intended to filter light penetrating the window opening and wash the interior with its colors, creating a different experience throughout the day.
When seated in the sanctuary facing the altar, one can peer through the windows and catch views of the sky meeting the tree-top horizon of the landscaping beyond. The beauty of music and spoken word, the hope of a room filled with worshipers, and the solace of religious ritual are notions imbued in the architecture, creating surroundings for the purpose of inspiring religious contemplation.