La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura

Aug 2009

Uploaded by Nico Saieh — Filed under: Religious Architecture ,Selected , Bunker Arquitectura, Glass, Mexico, Steel

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Architects: Bunker Arquitectura
Location: La Estancia Gardens, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Principals in charge: Esteban Suarez, Jorge Arteaga, Sebastian Suarez , Santiago Gitanjalli, Zaida Montañana
Collaborators: Paola Moire, Miguel Angel Martinez, Jimena Muhlia
Client: Promotora Amates
Main Contractor: ETASA
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Cien Acres
Civil & Structural Engineer: DAE
Site Area: 60,000 sqm
Constructed Area: 117 sqm
Project year: 2007
Photographs: Megs Inniss & Sebastian Suarez

La Estancia Wedding Gardens are located in the town of Cuernavaca, an hour drive south of Mexico City. The gardens were conceived in a traditional mexican baroque colonial style but a chapel was never included in the program, so all previous weddings took place under a light canvas canopy roof. It was when one of Bunker´s associates decided to marry in these gardens that it was made known to us the client had been toying for some time with the idea of building the chapel. When he found out a young architect was getting married in his garden the commission to design and build the chapel was granted for what we thought was an almost ridiculous caprice: the client thought very romantic the idea of an architect designing the chapel he would get married in. That was the last thing he found romantic in the endless subsequent discussions that followed.

He imagined a chapel in the same style of the gardens. We were all against styles. He wanted a classical approach. We were seduced by the “modern”. He desired to blend in. We believed in contrast. He preferred a closed wall chapel. We craved an open chapel. He was eccentric. Ok, in this we coincided. He required air conditioning. We disapproved of the idea given the size of the project… Bunker gradually won every point with eloquent, persuasive and almost stoical arguments. In the end, we did complete the chapel, inaugurate it with a wedding and it became the clients´ pampered and proud new offspring.

A crystal chapel in a warm tropical climate seemed like a contradiction in terms. The green house effect appeared to be something we could not elude. We decided on using U-profiled glass panes that are meant to work together as a single membrane. To separate them as single auto-bearing units, to reduce temperatures during the day, made them fragile and vulnerable. The contractor had never been exposed to this idea but was willing to give it a try. The construction went along as planned and our experiment proved successful. With this, we achieved a well ventilated space and a visual play between the interior and exterior.

The site for the chapel was carefully chosen within an enormous area of abundant vegetation. We selected a location that would not require the removal of any of the existing plants or trees, under large jacaranda trees, which form a natural arch over the chapel and provide it with ample shade, thus reducing temperatures during the day. We strived to bring about the least possible impact on the site.

section

The chapel was conceived as a box and compressed to form a peaked roof. Different shapes were traced on its lateral facades to form a prism which was then subtracted from the main volume. We covered the four facades with U-profiled glass and spaced each piece 10cm. apart from each other. In the altar façade, a cross was outlined and subtracted from the glass veil creating a window that looks out onto the surrounding garden. Exuberant vegetation permeates through the glass lattice walls thus creating a graceful and rhythmical dialogue between the artificial and natural environment.

: floor plan

: east elevation

: north elevation

: south elevation

: west elevation

: section

Cite:
Saieh , Nico . "La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura" 21 Aug 2009. ArchDaily. Accessed 10 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/32462>

Comments (20)
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Architecture+Molding says:

La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura:
Architects: Bunker Arquitectura Location: La Estancia Gardens, Cuerna.. http://bit.ly/1SHCDv

# August 21, 2009 at 06:45

Ronen Bekerman says:

Check out: "Fascinating glass chapel design – La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura | ArchDaily" (http://twitthis.com/m7wdhd)

# August 21, 2009 at 06:57

leporello says:

メキシコのガラスのチャペル。RT @archdaily: La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura http://bit.ly/pUL0M

# August 21, 2009 at 07:06

DANIEL RUEDA says:

# August 21, 2009 at 07:45

James says:

The end product is completely divorced from the brief and it’s purpose. This structure could be anything – it could be a shed for the gardener to keep his tools in – even the religious iconography is an afterthought, rather than part of the expression.

There is no real reasoning behind any of the ideas in this design – there is no underlying concept, or implicit messages – in my opinion, a project with religious attachments and such a definite function like this one has, should be more of an expression of it’s purpose.

In my opinion, this building is a terrible and weak response to a brief with much potential, and an obviously flexible client. Furthermore – again, in my opinion – these architects were out of their depth, and allowed more freedom than they have justified with their work. I say this in response to their process, and their product.

# August 21, 2009 at 08:00

South Pacific Bridal says:

La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura | ArchDaily http://bit.ly/Yqq0a

# August 21, 2009 at 08:18

neoinc. says:

clever construction imo…
the pics are excellent!!!

# August 21, 2009 at 08:30

blech says:

Looks like a cheap plastic oven with a Las Vegas cross on one side. Could’ve done a lot better using the same materials and strategies.

# August 21, 2009 at 08:45

Troy Lemieur says:

The first part of your comment sounds like a correct description of the church as an institution today. Lol!

# August 21, 2009 at 16:07

60403020 says:

Don’t ever lol on here again.

# August 21, 2009 at 23:27

Wedding Planner Bay Area says:

Harsh, man. Funny

# September 12, 2010 at 07:44

Fernando Nuñez says:

Reading: "La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura | ArchDaily" (http://twitthis.com/m7wdhd)

# August 21, 2009 at 22:04

Randy Brown says:

RT @moldingdesign: La Estancia Chapel / Bunker Arquitectura:
Architects: Bunker Arquitectura Location: La Estancia .. http://bit.ly/1SHCDv

# August 22, 2009 at 08:31

alejandro leal says:

I find it rather ugly, the way the cross is placed in the building is horrible, and the way the platform is made is also ugly. Besides it’s the typical building that looks ugly when it’s weathered.

# August 23, 2009 at 10:08

Remkool says:

religones = falsas conciencias : espacios anodinos

# August 23, 2009 at 13:52

Lumiges.com says:

Wow, that’s quite interesting. Particularly interior night shot bring the experience. I like how you used strips of milky glass to connect to great surrounding and at the same time give some privacy. I like it, Lumiges

# August 23, 2009 at 23:56

StructureHub Blog says:

Definitely original, and atmospheric in any light.

# August 24, 2009 at 12:55

SARNAMAN says:

Ugly, tacky, tasteless.

Horrenda, vulgar, corriente. Efectivamente: parece algo que se tuvo que improvisar en Vegas para poder casar a Steve Martin con Goldie Hawn!…. la cruz! por Dios… que cosa mas naca!

# August 24, 2009 at 15:24