Simplicity and natural beauty guided our design for a place of ceremony, contemplation, and reflection.
Simplicity and natural beauty guided our design for a place of ceremony, contemplation, and reflection. Situated on a wooded hilltop in a compact stand of trees at a nexus of trails running throughout the National Museum of the Marine Corps complex, the non-denominational chapel enables friends and families to honor the sacrifices of the fallen and celebrate moments of joy.
For inspiration, we looked to the field chapels that serve all soldiers across the globe to define the structure’s steeply pitched slate roof. A deep overhang mediates the light brought in by floor-to-ceiling windows that are the altar’s backdrop, allowing visitors and congregants an unbroken view from earth to sky. The heavy timber, natural fieldstone and glass structure further erodes the boundaries between the building’s interior and the sylvan surroundings.
