The symbiotic relationship between art and architecture

Peter Zumthor Brother Claus Field Chapel Mechernich Germany

Ashutosh Mukherjee Roll Number: 2/08

 Bruder Klaus Field Chapel all began as a sketch, eventually evolving to become a very elegant yet basic landmark in Germanys natural landscape. The design was constructed by local farmers who wanted to honor their patron saint, Bruder Klaus of the 15th century.

 In order to design buildings with a sensuous connection to life, one must think in a way that goes far beyond form and construction. This quote from Peter Zumthor rings true in his design of Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, where a mystical and thoughtproving interior is masked by a very rigid rectangular exterior.

 Located in Mechernich near Cologne, Germany. The Chapel, dedicated to the holy Niklaus von Fluehe, called Brother Claus

 Zumthor used a technique called rammed concrete where farmers poured a layer of concrete over a teepee of timber every day for 24 days, leaving a texture similar to that of rammed earth. The timber was then burnt out by colliers, using the same process as making charcoal, leaving a charred inside.

 Arguably the most interesting aspects of the church are found in the methods of construction, beginning with a wigwam made of 112 tree trunks. Upon completion of the frame, layers of concrete were poured and rammed atop the existing surface, each around 50cm thick. When the concrete of all 24 layers had set, the wooden frame was set on fire, leaving behind a hollowed blackened cavity and charred walls.

 The unique roofing surface of the interior is balanced by a floor of frozen molten lead. Gaze is pulled up by way of obvious directionality, to the point where the roof is open to the sky and night stars. This controls the weather of the chapel, as ran and sunlight both penetrate the opening and create an ambience or experience very specific to the time of day and year.

 On a sunny day, this oculus resembles the flare of a star that can be attributed to a reference of Brother Klauss vision in the womb. The very somber and reflective feelings that become inevitable in ones encounter with the chapel make it one of the most striking pieces of religious architecture to date.

 To me, buildings can have a beautiful silence that I associate with attributes such as composure, selfevidence, durability, presence, and integrity, and with warmth and sensuousness as well; a building that is being itself, being a building, not representing anything, just being. Quote Peter Zumthor.

Construction Technique
The interior of the chapel room was formed out of 112 tree trunks, which were congured like a tent. In twenty-four working days, layer after layer of concrete, each layer 50 cm thick, was poured and rammed around the tent-like structure. With no plumbing, bathrooms, running water, electricity, and with its charred concrete and lead floors, the seemingly uninviting chapel remains

Construction Technique
In the autumn of 2006, a special smouldering re was kept burning for three weeks inside the log tent, after which time the tree trunks were dry and could easily be removed from the concrete shell. The chapel oor was covered with lead, which was melted on site in a crucible and manually ladled onto the oor. The bronze relief gure in the chapel is by sculptor Hans Josephsohn.

Acknowledgement
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/04/18/key-projects-by-peter-zumthor/ http://www.archdaily.com/19403/peter-zumthor-works/ http://www.arcspace.com/architects/zumthor/brother_claus/brother_claus.html

Recognized around the world for his stunning architecture designs, Peter Zumthor was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2009.