A Place of Worship: Nameless Chapel in Rome

During difficult times, humans are reduced to the most primary condition of life, both in the material and spiritual sense. Therefore a shelter does not only mean a place for physical necessity, but also a haven for mental security and consolation. Religions have the capacity to support and comfort people in different situations, and a chapel of no destined religion is designed as a shelter for the homeless and refugees from all backgrounds.

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Along the Tiber River, millions of people live under the nature’s protection. They came from diverse cultural backgrounds, but are able to coexist because the absence of architecture created a condition of land without authority, therefore without restrain. A spiritual shelter needs to continue such quality in order to host people of different needs, so the chapels proposed is designed for no predetermined religion. It intersects gently with the site, and revolves around a center point set at the boundary between the existing and the grafted. Visitors are guided by the gentle curves to access the river, and the homeless can be sheltered inside the solid wall revolving around their spiritual dream. 

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The curve starts as a translucent veil facing the street, then it intersects with the existing dense fabric of the shops and warehouses along the river bank. The courtyards between two curves are potential community courtyards and cafes as the riverbank become more public accessible. The stairs near the river are opened up by the curves, so they will be more welcoming to the pedestrians and build a stronger link between the river and the street.