Capella in Olive Trees
Baabda, Lebanon 2018
The Capella project sits on a terraced terrain, amidst an abundantly cultivated olive tree land. The project initially was part of a larger masterplan comprising two residential villas for two brothers. Therefore, the idea was to create a buffer zone, a transition space between the two villas that could become a playground or a multifunctional open space. Further investigation with the client came to the conclusion that a memorial for their dad would be better suited to play this catalyst role between the two villas.
As you enter the site after a hard sloped secondary road, a pedestrian path takes you slowly inside the land, in between olive trees. The ritual of arriving at the Capella passes through a sinuous stone paved road bounded by low walls and trees. The Capella integrates the site by having a small footprint allowing to preserve the existing olive trees around it. The typical stepping of the site generated a linear and narrow plan.
The project consists of two volumes, the main one being the Capella and a secondary one, a bit recessed holding the services and bathrooms. The two volumes are located on different levels and to access the services you need to take the stairs built from rough stones from the land. The Capella is built from stone, steel and glass, its triangulated façade points up to the sky and supports the glass and steel roof that brings natural light in. The small vertical openings on the façades emphasize the heaviness of the stone walls, creating filtered light on the inside and framed views to the outside. The entrance leads to the glass cross behind the altar and frames an existing olive tree that was preserved.
The Capella roof mimics in its slow slope the irregular shapes of the land terracing and is evident to passers from the road above. The monolithic aspect of the Capella, perforated and undulating under the sun sits heavily between the trees, blending almost organically with the landscape. The spiritual experience users get from visiting the Capella is quite unique, it embraces them in a natural environment horizontally while connecting vertically through the roof.
