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The firm are predisposed to loving all things that involve curving wood, natural light and minimalism, it is not surprising that they fell head over heels in love with this exquisite chapel.
It is made with 20 tonnes of unadorned wood and not a single nail or metal fitting. It is called "The Tree of Life Chapel" at St. James Seminary in Braga, Portugal. Built inside the existing seminary, the chapel was designed by architects António Jorge Cerejeira Fontes and André Cerejeira Fontes, with sculptural work by sculptor Asbjörn Andresen. All three are with the Braga-based Imago, also known as Cerejeira Fontes Architects - Imago Atelier de Arquitectura e Engenharia.
Andersen is a Norwegian sculptor, who lectures and works in Sweden, Norway and Portugal. The Cerejera Fontes brothers are both engineers and architects currently pursuing PhDs in Urban Planning. Other participants in the beautiful chapel project include sculptor Manuel Rosa, painter Ilda David, the organ builder Pedro Guimarães, Italian photographer Santo Eduardo di Miceli and civil engineer Joaquim Carvalho.
The chapel functions as an intimate prayer room, a place of quiet contemplation for those living in the seminary. Every detail of the structure and its adornments draws its origins from the Bible. Even the overall floor plan and structural solutions echo the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest.
There is an intimate and gentle connection between the outside world and the chapel itself, with an inviting, fluid pathway leading into the space, instead of a categorical doorway with a heavy, excluding door. The structure resembles a hut, a boat, a honeycomb or a forest. The wooden slats - that also provide shelving for books - and the open ceiling allow light to play its magic at all times of the day.