Our Lady Of Sorrows Chapel / RCNKSK

Architects: RCNKSK
Area: 150 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Ondřej Bouška
Manufacturers: iGuzzini, RCNKSK
Lighting Design: ETNA
Electrical Installation: Elstar Plus
Photovoltaic System: Svoboda a syn
Design Team: RCNKSK
Structural Engineering: Vít Mlázovský, Filip Chmel
Landscape Planning: Eva Wagnerová
Carpentry, Stonework, and Epdm: David Šebesta
Cnc Production: Karel Hrdlička
Metalwork and Steel Tower Construction: Zámečnictví Fiala, Kovopoláček
Substructure / Foundation: Miroslav Klein
Design and Production of the Chancel Elements: Dominik Fiala
Realization of Rammed Earth Floor Construction: Hanno Burtscher, Matěj Janský
Furniture: Pavel Abrahámek
Oak Gates Carpentry and Steelwork: Daniel Golík, Jakub Jarcovják
Landscape Installation: Jiří Dohnálek
Quarry Stone Supplier: HUTIRA
Heating, Water Supply and Sewerage: František Ryšavy
Lighting Supply: ETNA
Security Systems: Maxprogres
City: Nesvačilka
Country: Czech Republic

Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel, designed by RCNKSK, is a spiritual and communal landmark in Nesvačilka, southern Moravia. Initiated by Father René Strouhal and the local parishioners, the project represents a long-held desire for a chapel in the area, leading to a twelve-year construction journey. The site, positioned on an elevated spot overlooking the village, was chosen for its connection to baroque ideals and the landscape. Symbolism plays a central role, with gneiss stones representing humanity and wooden beams embodying the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The design fuses medieval construction techniques with modern CNC technology, creating a structure intended to last and evolve with time. The process was prolonged by reliance on donations, but this allowed for careful reflection and refinement of the design throughout the build.

For more than a century, the residents of Nesvačilka wished for a chapel—a place for spiritual reflection and communal faith. Father René Strouhal, alongside the parishioners, not only shared this aspiration but envisioned a building that would shape both the landscape and the cultural and societal fabric of the area. What began as a simple desire soon evolved into a twelve-year journey.

The vast, gently rolling landscape of southern Moravia is dominated by expansive fields that stretch endlessly. Nesvačilka has retained much of its baroque-era layout, including a prominent elevated spot above the village, where the settlement naturally rises and can be seen from a distance. This site appeared ideally suited to fulfill baroque principles of land cultivation, a place devoid of forests or rocks, featuring only soil and fields. The use of natural materials like stone and wood—uncommon in this region—carries symbolic meaning, representing faith in an arid landscape. The central structure was envisioned to stand on the hilltop as a beacon, providing both physical and spiritual orientation.

The community chose Our Lady of Sorrows as the chapel’s patroness, representing her suffering, which is mirrored throughout the design. The chapel is built upon the dust and soil of the land, which forms its floor. The lower section, constructed from gneiss stones, symbolizes humanity—stubborn, disobedient, and difficult to shape. Rising from these stones are seven beams, reaching toward the heavens and representing Mary’s Seven Sorrows, connecting the earthly to the divine. A veil of Mary’s tears symbolically falls from above, with the delicate wooden structure, laced with small windows, allowing sunlight to enter the chapel continuously. Surrounding the building is a ring of the Stations of the Cross, flanked by apple trees leading to the chapel, while an orchard at the rear connects it to the nearby fields.

The chapel seamlessly merges tradition and modernity. Its construction draws inspiration from medieval techniques while integrating modern technologies. The floor consists of compacted, rammed earth, and the walls are built from quarried stone. The lamellar supporting structure, composed of a thousand wooden elements traditionally joined with pegs and wedges, was crafted using CNC milling. Hand-carved beams, each fifteen meters long, span the space freely and are topped with a steel spire. Upon entering through five-meter-high doors, visitors are welcomed into a dynamic space where the arrangement of beams and structure directs the gaze upward. The chapel transcends time, offering an experience through the interplay of light, acoustics, and scent. Crafted from natural, tactile materials, the design is rooted in traditional craftsmanship, intended to elevate visitors beyond the everyday. The materials were carefully chosen for their ability to age gracefully, enhancing rather than diminishing their quality over time.

The construction was entirely funded by donations, which prolonged the building timeline. However, this extended period allowed for a critical reassessment of the design and a careful evaluation of its technical and symbolic elements, ensuring precise execution. Close collaboration with the builders and a focus on detail enabled the creation of both the construction and production documentation, refining the processes to align with financial and technical limitations.