Subiaco Monastery Library & Chapel
professor lynn fitzpatrick
professor lynn fitzpatrick
fall 2008
Assignment: designa library and chapel for a Benedictine monastery by creating contemplative spaces along an existing large retaining wall.
Inspiration: a series of stair studies.
Inspiration: a series of stair studies.
Project: The design allows a visitor to experience the Earth in 4 different ways: on, in, out, and with. On: The visitor's lobby and skylight seats are structurally above the retaining wall and provide an extensive view of the surrounding Boston Mountains. In: The three landings along the retaining wall stair lead to small rooms within the Earth which give the feeling of being surrounded by the large skylights reaching toward to ground above. Out: The staircase as well the protruding room on the second landing extend beyond the ground, neither being on or on it. With: The chapel, while sitting on the land, appears to be cut out of the retaining wall, an element of the Earth rather than an element of man.
This model depicts the form of the staircase along the existing retaining wall, visitor's center and skylights, library rooms and chapel. Model foam base formed with CNC router.
This iteration of an in-depth stair study inspired the final retaining-wall stair design. Model produced on Google SketchUp.
Basic line drawing abstracting the essential built forms of the project. Drawing produced on AutoCAD.
Multi-tier site plan showing the program of the project. The shaded area represents the underground areas. Description of rooms from left to right: visitor's lobby, library study space, library display space, library reading room, chapel and meditative rooms. Drawing produced on AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator.
Photo of the model of the chapel showing the ephemeral use of natural light. Model built with illustrator board.
