Sohomod Blog
SUBMIT YOUR WORK
Our Store
  • Furniture
  • Architecture
  • Lamps & Lights
  • Decor
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
  • Furniture
  • Architecture
  • Lamps & Lights
  • Decor
Sohomod Blog
No Result
View All Result

Byzantine Modernism: Peter the Apostle and St. Helen the Martyr Chapel in Paphos, Cyprus

May 26, 2016
80
SHARES
402
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin It

While in the Catholic church there is a fair amount of liberty in how temples are designed, very little has changed in the Greek Orthodox tradition in this regard since the Byzantine era.. In fact, religious architecture in the Orthodox Christian world is perhaps its most conservative aspect, since even its music and rituals have evolved over time, while the architecture has stayed the same. This is why this humble little chapel in Paphos, Cyprus, stands out: designed by Michalis Georgiou and Theresa Kwok, the chapel of Peter the Apostle and St. Helen the Martyr introduces contemporary materials and a daring design that creatively reinterprets the Byzantine church typology.

The result of a collaborative process, the chapel achieves its streamlined minimalistic purity and grace by means of abstraction: ornamentation has been eschewed altogether, and architectural elements such as the bell tower and the sanctum have been merged into the main volume to create a single, compact architectural object. In section, the building looks like a stylised reinterpretation of a typical Greek church which was then extruded in order to create the necessary volume. Parametric computational and design techniques (Michail Georgiou’s area of expertise) were deployed for the building’s shell and various interior details, as seen for example in the sculptural reinterpretation of the altar stone. The chapel’s most intriguing aspect however is the movement of its shape: its gentle curvature guides the eye upwards from the earth and towards the sky. Overall, what this unassuming chapel lacks in scale and grandeur, it compensates with its mindful design, modern aesthetics and creative sensibility.

Share32Tweet20Pin7
Next Post

Norman Foster Reveals Vaulted Droneport Prototype at Venice Architecture Biennale

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Bardot Table Lamp Designed by Laura Cazzaniga and Ilaria Limonta

Bardot Table Lamp Designed by Laura Cazzaniga and Ilaria Limonta

December 27, 2018
Mrs.Q Floor Lamp by Jacco Maris Design

Mrs.Q Lamps Collection by Jacco Maris Design

March 28, 2015
Roy Coffee Table by Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas for Fiam

Roy Coffee Table by Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas for Fiam

January 13, 2015
CLAY Seating Collection by Javier Moreno Studio for Softline

CLAY Seating Collection by Javier Moreno Studio for Softline

September 5, 2019
MESH Lounge Chair by Robin Rizzini for Intertime

MESH Lounge Chair by Robin Rizzini for Intertime

February 13, 2017
Touchwood Chair by Lars Beller

Touchwood Chair by Lars Beller

July 6, 2014
  • Home
  • Submission

© 2014 - 2023 Sohomod.com All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Furniture
    • Living Room
    • Bar
    • Dining Room
    • Bedroom
    • Outdoor
    • Kids Room
  • Architecture
    • Apartments
    • Residences
    • Office
    • Restaurants
    • Stores
    • Hotels
  • Lamps & Lights

© 2014 - 2023 Sohomod.com All Rights Reserved