Chapel in Ios

On the island of Ios which according to local legend has 365 churches, one for every day of the year, a small chapel was designed and built by A31.

With this design, A31 wanted to pay tribute to the Cycladic architectural heritage while also serving as a contemporary intervention and element of memory within the landscape.  The inspiration came from timeless local church building traditions and the modest cubed structures which dot the island’s barren landscape; architecture that ties in so harmoniously with the Aegean blue sky and sea.

The chapel measures a total of 15m2 and has a height of 3 metres. Its construction material is entirely white fair-faced concrete without any ornamentation, while the symbol of the cross is created on the facade of the temple by a double-leaf and oxidized iron metal door.

The distinguishing feature is that the 5 built elements, the 4 walls and the dome, appear not to touch each other thus deconstructing the architectural space while at the same time offering openings of light and views to the sea and to the surrounding nature.