Nearly 100 years after Antoni Gaudí’s death, Chile will begin constructing a chapel using his original designs for the rear section of Sagrada Família’s apse, Dezeen reports.
Slated for completion in 2017, the chapel in Chile will be the Spanish architect’s first building outside of his home country. The chapel is also expected to be completed before La Sagrada Família, one of Gaudí’s most iconic works yet to be completed.
According to Fast Company, the chapel will be named Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, and will be located in the city of Rancagua, 50 miles south of Santiago. Construction will be overseen by project architect Christian Matzner, and will cost $7 million in government funding.
The 98-foot-tall structure will be adorned with 20 oculi carved from stone in Barcelona. Lapis lazuli mined in Chile will cover the main tower, topped with a copper cross. A crypt will house the remains of friar Angélico Aranda, who wrote Gaudí a letter in 1922 asking him to design a chapel for Rancagua.
“I wish to build something original–very original–and I thought of you,” Aranda wrote in his letter, adding that he wants designs for a chapel “only as you know how to do.”
Read more on Dezeen.
Related Stories
| Nov 12, 2014
Refocusing the shifted line
A recent trend in the practice of architecture that I’ve been noticing is the blurring of responsibility between design and construction coordination. I’m not sure why this trend began, but the subject is worth exploring, writes FXFOWLE's Mark Nusbaum.
| Nov 12, 2014
Designs by three finalists for new Beethoven concert hall unveiled
David Chipperfield and Valentiny are among the finalists for a new concert hall being built to commemorate Beethoven’s 250th birthday in his hometown of Bonn, Germany.
| Nov 12, 2014
Forbes: Houston is America's #1 construction hotspot
A new list of America's 20 biggest boomtowns shows Houston on top, with New York City close behind, followed by Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
| Nov 11, 2014
Must see: Artist pairs up Hollywood icons with famous modern architecture
In his latest series, Federico Babina illustrated 17 iconic Hollywood personalities, from Marilyn Monroe to Michael Caine, interacting with famous 20th century homes.
| Nov 11, 2014
Renzo Piano's third building at London Bridge Quarter approved, will be built adjacent to the Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been granted planning approval for its residential building at London Bridge Quarter—a 26-story apartment tower dubbed Feilden House.
| Nov 10, 2014
5 guiding principles for solving airflow issues in open-plenum office spaces
Although architecturally appealing, exposed ceilings can create unwanted drafts and airflow problems if not engineered correctly. McGuire Engineers' Bill Stangeland offers tips for avoiding airflow issues on these projects.
| Nov 10, 2014
Clemson, Parsons architecture education programs honored for innovation, long-term impact
The architecture programs at Parsons The New School for Design and Clemson University have been selected as 2014 NCARB Award recipients for developing innovative curricula that merge practice and education.
| Nov 10, 2014
Herzog & De Meuron unveils plan for National Library of Israel
The library’s new home will be a completely new building in Jerusalem, and will combine the functions of a central research center, a venue for indoor and outdoor cultural and educational activities, and a place for digital experience.
| Nov 10, 2014
Hotel construction pipeline hits five-year high
The hotel construction pipeline hit a five-year high in the third quarter, clocking in at 3,516 projects and 443,936 rooms, Lodging Econometrics reports.
| Nov 7, 2014
Arts college uses creative financing to build 493-bed student housing
Many states have cut back funding for higher education in recent years, and securing money for new housing has been tougher than ever for many colleges and universities. A recent residence hall project in Boston involving three colleges provides an inspiring example of how necessity can spawn invention in financing strategies.