Photographs are by Ignacio Infante and can be found at Europaconcorsi. Click on images at left for larger views. [Google Earth link] For this small and unassuming chapel on a plateau overlooking Lake Rupanco in Chile F3 Arquitectos tried to "generate an area of meditation beyond the 21 m2 (225 sf) of construction," using the surrounding land as well as the building as a place of religion, allowing for the visitor to be in touch with the world around them. From various angles, the chapel takes the form of a house. This is perhaps due to the size and scale of the building, as well as the familiar gable roof form, small windows, and porch. Certainly this decision could be rooted in the desire to create a "house of worship" for the community. This form, like the chapel itself, is also about itself and its surroundings, where the small interior space appears that much larger by its shape and an icon of sorts is created for those below and across the lake, especially at night. Although small, the architects made numerous design decisions that elevate the design beyond its utilitarian form. The use of wood planks for every surface, from the floor, walls and roof to the pews and altar itself -- derived from budget constraints -- gives the project not only cohesion but also a feeling of embrace appropriate to its purpose. Another design feature is the way the building cantilevers from the land, gesturing towards the water beyond both indoors and outside. The chapel is an once rooted in its site and trying to break free of its earthly bounds. Lastly, allowing for a tree to grown up and over the entry porch is a gesture that's not only fraught with meaning but also with a beauty that will only increase over time. When mature, the tree will create another small space adjacent to the first space of the chapel. The natural and the man-made will co-exist side by side, an extension of the thought behind this small building and those who use it.   Capilla Lago Rupanco in Lago Rupanco, Chile by F3 Arquitectos 2006.07.17     Click on images below for larger color views.