Lynx Thoughts

There’s a beautiful simplicity here, with inspiration from that of a large tent, open to all sides and to all visitors, casting its gaze out onto the grand vista that surrounds it while at the same time crafting an intimate experience.

The experience begins along the approach, the area being delineated by a fence of unconnected posts.  From there, the nicely sculpted wedge opens upward and outward, framing the landscape and, in a similar vein to Tadao Ando’s Church on the Water, towards the single cross that juts up from beyond.  It is both simple and powerfully elegant, rendered even more so in the dawn and dusk hours.  At night, a single bulb suspended over the altar hovers like a star.  A channel of water runs down the middle, connecting both entrances.

The inky black zinc that covers the roof separates the building without overpowering its surroundings.  All else is made of natural wood or stone.  There is high drama here, but it is rooted in and of its place.

Very well done, a small intervention with a big impact.  A locus of tranquility for introspection without losing sight of the world that forever surrounds us.

Nossa Senhora de Fátima Chapel by Plano Humano Arquitectos