IT | EN

American architect Andrew Berman tries his hand at using wood, extruding a triangle and sectioning it to create a large sloping surface. The chapel is clad on the outside with sheets of honeycomb Plexiglass, which allows a glimpse of the internal load-bearing structure made of wood painted black. On the roof, a semi-transparent part is left near the altar, allowing a soft light to filter in from above. The roof thus creates an evocative play of light/darkness/light in the approach to the sacred area. Moretti Modular Contractor, together with Berman, has created here a place of recollection unique in its intensity and geometry.

Glulam is the star material in Andrew Berman’s chapel, which has a triangular plan, with sides of 7 metres each. The structure is made of framed panels pre-assembled in the factory and then transported and assembled on site; on the inside the panels have a black wooden finish, while on the outside the finish is honeycomb plexiglass, which reveals the wooden structure of the panels, painted white. Similar panels make up the single-pitch roof of the chapel, which is open on the front to welcome visitors in a sort of vestibule. A wing separates the exterior from the extremely cosy interior, which is accessed through a small opening. The floor is made of framed panels covered with a double layer of plywood.

Project: arch. Andrew Berman

"The chapel on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore was conceived as a place of gathering and discovery, a space that brings us back to the intimate for reading and meditation."

Andrew Berman, Architect

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Architect

Andrew Berman

Architect

Andrew Berman Architect is a New York-based firm focused on creating unique and exquisitely executed buildings and public spaces. Each project speaks of its client, their culture, and their needs. The construction of the building is intrinsic to its meaning and presence, as well as its practical resolution.

Advantages

The tight deadlines, the logistics of water transportation, and the need to package the chapel for transport and relocation were handled exemplarily by Moretti Modular Contractor.

Moretti Modular Contractor directly engaged with the designer, identifying the construction solution that best interpreted the concept.