Chapel of Silence in Botticino by Studio Associates

The STUDIO Associates team has constructed a secular chapel in the woodlands of Botticino, near Brescia and called it the “Chapel of Silence”. A construction referencing the local traditional forms becomes the focal point for contemplating nature in an experience of the senses intensified by the architecture itself.


A small clearing surrounded by woods on three sides and overlooking vineyards to the west in the municipality of Botticino, near Brescia is the location of the latest work by STUDIO Associates, a small, tarred wood chapel raised off the ground.
The 6-metre long, 3-metre wide and 6-metre high construction was crafted because the community wanted a secular spiritual retreat not dedicated to any particular religion but a place that all the locals could go to for peaceful and quiet contemplation of nature. This idea of a freely interpreted space is underscored by the interior, furnished only with cushions - black like everything else - that you can arrange however suits you.
Already in the past, STUDIO Associates have designed places in the middle of nature that focus on spiritualism (link), and the video
clearly shows us how this architecture heightens the bond with nature and encourages contemplation precisely through the actual design.
The traditional form is the result of studying the vernacular styles, selected therefore to best respond to the collective imagination of the users. And the pathway to the chapel is also an integral part of the project, setting up a physical approach that plays a cathartic role. Indeed, once you reach the chapel itself, you can simply draw back the curtain on the framework jutting out to the side over the slope, and its dark interiors open up to nature. What's more, the large standing stone made from Botticino marble has been positioned right in front of the main opening, drawing the gaze of users and reprenseting a secular icon of nature's primitve power. A triangular rainwater collector has been carved into the top of this menhir, almost like a natural holy water stoup.
The Chapel of Silence by STUDIO Associates promotes our connection with the world of creation and therefore with our inner selves – a place whose apparent simplicity and bold material substance helps to “bring us back to earth”

Christiane Bürklein

Project: STUDIO Associates
Collaborators: ALBERTO TOSONI, ALESSANDRO TAROLLI, CHIARA VULCANO, ELENA PELLIZZER, FEDERICO STRADA, FRANCESCA KIPRIANIDIS, GINO BALDI, GIUSEPPE SORRENTINO
MARIA SAVASTANO, NICOLÒ GARONZI, SERENA COMI, SILVIA DIOMEDI, SIMONE VOLPI, SUSANNA PARLATO,VALENTINA ALMERICO,VALENTINA MONTEVERDI, VALENTINA RAGGI, VALENTINA SOLANO
Client: I FUORI ONDA, GRUPPO NULLI SPA
Builders: EDIL3 COSTRUZIONI, TORRI SILVANO
Location: Botticino, Brescia, Italy
Year: 2017
Images: © STUDIO Associates