The Chapel of St. Loup, An Origami Structure

7/19/2010

With the aid of a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit and after navigating a few winding roads, we finally found this design marvel, The Chapel of St. Loup, in a little village of the same name in the south of Switzerland. Due to its seemingly simple and lightweight structure with paper-like folds, it has been called an origami chapel. The structure is something one might not expect in Switzerland, its architecture being very modern against a backdrop of historical buildings. And probably because of this, it is like a breath of fresh air amid all the old towns one sees in Europe.

The little chapel, run by the Catholic nuns of the Deaconess Community of St. Loup, does not blend in with the hospital complex surrounding it, but unabashedly stands out and surprisingly complements it. This building was erected by Local Architecture and Arch. Danilo Mondada, which had won a competition in 2007 to restore the nuns’ historic motherhouse, including their 200-year old chapel, but had to build a temporary place of worship for the good sisters. With the help of Professor Yves Weinhard and Dr. Hani Buri of ETH University in Zurich, a diminutive structure was designed, something that had to be inexpensive and weather-friendly, but not an eyesore within the hospital grounds. The pair had been researching methods to create strength and rigidity in small structures by adopting the principles of origami. With this project, their method of combining design and structural analysis to develop novel geometrical forms was put to the test.

The chapel makes use of 7-meter high timber panels for walls that fold like an accordion at a slant to support the roof that rises up to 12 meters over the nave,  without the need for a pre-existing linear framework but joined by folded metal plates. The wall behind the altar is made of copper-coated glass, which lets in plenty of light but remains kind to the eyes. In addition, transparent plastic panels in the gable sides are covered with fabric to allow natural light through. The wooden panels were produced by digital laser-cutting and assembled on site by local carpenters. Although sturdy, the building can be dismantled and rebuilt as needed. In fact, the structure was put up in less than two months.

We have to admire the ingenuity and daring of the design team, in creating a unique, functional, and attractive structure. It is novel ideas such as this that make architecture such an exciting and rewarding field.