Way chapel, district Dillingen an der Donau

Kesselostheim, Germany

Photo © Marcus Ebener

Religious buildings

Architects: Staab Architekten

Location: 86657 Kesselostheim, Germany
Year: 2020

Building a way chapel is a rare task. The Siegfried and Elfriede Denzel Foundation has commissioned seven different architects to design wooden chapels as landmarks along a newly created cycle path in the charming landscape of the district of Dillingen.
Our site is situated on a slight slope surrounded by fields. In order to preserve the trees and to emphasize the magnificent view, we erected a narrow tower that is visible from afar. It is made of deep wooden slats that fan out to the sky like a flap of a wing. A path leads to a small platform with a covered bench where visitors can rest and enjoy the view of the landscape and take a peek at the chapel. Upon entering the chapel, one is welcomed by a high space, into which the light enters only subdued, filtered by the deep slats. As the height increases, the space narrows and is finally bounded by the cross of the wooden supporting structure. Depending on the weather, time of day and season, sunlight, wind, rain or snow can fall into the interior of the chapel and keep it in close contact to its surroundings.