Christopher Cleland

a place of reflection.
Fogo Island, NL

This fogo island place of worship is an individual opportunity for an inward dialogue with the self. The ‘chapel’ aims to refuse its traditional bias and embraces a multivalent approach to religion, encouraging intimacy and welcoming all forms of prayer and meditation. The chapel aims to bring the user closer with the spirit of the place and the earth by extending itself out into the water. The ocean tide and open roof encourage an acknowledgment of place and time in an attempt to stimulate prayer and inward reflection. The overall form and material treatment are a result of vernacular architecture found around Fogo Island, which also pays homage to the existing dialogue between artists studios on the island. The structure is also inspired by native Beothuk Mamateek construction, which has been applied in a contemporary a-frame form. The structure is composed from native Newfoundland Balsam Fir, which has been burnt finished on the exterior.