An unconventional spirit embraces a rugged site
to create a soul-powered private chapel in Portugal
Act of faith
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER BENNETTS WRITER: JONATHAN BELL
THE INTIMATE CHAPEL AREA
HAS A LOW CONCRETE
CEILING, COMPARED TO THE
LOFTIER MAIN SPACE, AND
LIMESTONE FLOORS AND
WALLS. THE CANDLEHOLDERS
AND CHAIRS WERE DESIGNED
BY THE BUILDING’S AUTHOR,
NICHOLAS BURNSThe most impressive architectural projects don’t
always consist of a single structure. This new chapel
in Minho, Portugal, by Nicholas Burns, is part of
an ongoing transformation of a sprawling private estate
into a bespoke, architecturally coherent environment.
Burns has spent the past three years working on this
30-hectare site, and the chapel, featuring a sweepingconcrete roof, is the latest element. (^) »
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Architecture