Farewell Chapel at Teharje, Slovenia

When asked to design a Farewell Chapel in Teharje, Slovenia, Ljubljana-based firm Architektura Krušec created a structure that looks deliberately un-unified. Its roof appears to float above the structure, disconnected, and its local-sandstone walls are varying heights throughout the space. The design of the structure intentionally directs the focus of visitors across the surrounding landscape, resplendent with striking views of the Alps. The irregular walls, in turn, allow for this view while veiling the view of the cemetery immediately surrounding the chapel.

The reductionist design of the basic elements of this structure – the floor, walls, and ceiling – leave the space open to memory and contemplation. The contemplative air is further implied when sunlight enters the space at a certain angle, casting long shadows against the chapel’s carved walls inside.

Though it seems to almost deny its purpose by masking the surrounding cemetery, the space also allows visitors to approach the farewell and memorial in a more modern way. By focusing on the experience and the minds of the visitors inside, and not on those who have died and are buried in the cemetery outside, the space allows visitors to turn their attention to honoring and remembering those lost – to focus on the life, rather than the death.