THE CHAPELLE DU CHRIST MÉDIATEUR

“You might complain that dry numbers are the opposite of poetry (but) these things are beautiful because in the middle of the apparent incoherence of nature or the cities of men, they are places of geometry, a realm where practical mathematics reigns… And is not geometry pure joy ?” (Le Corbusier)

All successful architecture, however eclectic, haphazard or casual it may appear, is the fruit of careful planning and calculation.

For the Chapelle du Christ Médiateur, interior design firm John Doe created the oak pews,  granite altar and stone font with a 20mm gap between the supports and top surface to appear as though floating.

The Chapel, a striking example of contemporary ecclesiastical architecture, was designed in 1959 by Noël Lemaresquier, a disciple of Le Corbusier. It was subsequently renovated in 2009-2010, following the canonisation of sister Marie-Eugenie in 2007. The architecture firm 3Box re-designed the space, while the furnishings were designed by the John Doe studio (founded by Grégory Lacoua and Jean Sébastien Lagrange). The plain concrete walls reflect the colours of the original stained glass windows created by Maurice Max-Ingrand.

The ceiling sweeps upwards over the altar, which again features the 20mm gap.