2024 - Tabor Light Chapel

Tabor Light Chapel The concept of the project starts from a different point of view on how light is perceived. Saint Gregory Palamas (1296–1359), one of the greatest theologians of the Christian Church, who wanted to understand and experience the divine through prayer and meditation, speaks about three lights: 1. The sensible light, the light that reveals the objects of our senses; 2. The light of intelligence, the divine inspiration; 3. The uncreated light, the light that is neither material, nor spiritual or sensible, not intelligible or intellectual light either. This light is divine and uncreated and is the sign of the living and personal presence of Divinity. Our project is a chapel, a place of prayer and meditation where the uncreated light can be experienced. The physical light is transformed into energy, using parabolic shape and reflective materials, all the light that comes inside the chapel is redirected into a single focal point, which becomes a solar oven, the centerpiece of the project. The oven is always burning incense in order to stimulate the olfactory system, one of the most powerful triggers of memory and emotion, in order that the experience remains with the person, and that the incense smell will always take the person back to that moment. Also the smoke that the incense is creating in the space is used to project light beams, as a metaphor of the light that is not created, the light is displayed and materialized on the smoke as a solid object that can’t be touched, it can only be felt and experienced individually in the meditation or prayer state. The chapel is made to be always a space of silence, the burning incense noise is the only sound in the background. The chapel is structured in three zones, pronaos, naos and shrine zone. The pronaos is an underground tunnel, that does not allow light inside the chapel. The naos space is where people are meant to be praying and meditating. The solar oven is the shrine of the chapel where the light is the preacher, showing through the uncreated light the essence and the presence of the divine inside each person. In conclusion, the Tabor Light Chapel embodies a profound spiritual journey, inspired by the teachings of Saint Gregory Palamas. By harnessing physical light and transforming it into an experience of the divine, the chapel offers a sacred space for prayer and meditation. Through the convergence of sensory elements such as light, scent, and sound, individuals are invited to connect with the uncreated light and the essence of the divine within themselves. As visitors traverse through the chapel’s zones, they embark on a symbolic passage towards enlightenment, guided by the radiant presence of the solar oven. Ultimately, the chapel stands as a testament to the transcendent power of spiritual contemplation and the eternal light that illuminates the human soul.