architecture practice PLY+ has extended the st mary mercy hospital in livonia, michigan, with a new project comprising a roman catholic chapel, a reflection room and a muslim prayer room. wrapped in an ironspot brick shell, which helps distinguish it from the existing structure, the chapel features a distinct curved geometry with a conical corner that celebrates the position of the tabernacle – the most important liturgical element within the space .the brick coursing involves rotating masonry in a clockwise orientation from a running bond pattern to a rotating pattern and back again to running bond after rounding the corner. the following course follows the same logic with a counter-clockwise rotation thereby establishing a ‘woven’ pattern at the corner.

PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in a curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USall images by adam smith unless stated otherwise

 

 

‘the location of the addition was determined during the initial conceptual phase of design and was selected because of its visual prominence from the approach to the north entrance of the hospital and to allow the new chapel to visually ‘borrow’ an existing cross on the north façade of the hospital,’ explains PLY+. exploring the potential for brick to achieve both smoothness and definition, the project’s form begins low where it meets the existing hospital and rises up to provide a more vertically generous space in the chapel, therefore giving an overall expression of a spiritual center. PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in a curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US

 

 

the chapel’s apertures match orientations with programmatic opportunities including a high, east window to provide early morning light for the daily 6am mass, a southern opening that holds a special installation of dichroic glass that bounces spectral colors into the space, and a western row of windows that establish a relationship with a future phase healing garden. a contemporary version of stained-glass church windows, the dichroic window was designed to maximize the color range possible from two layered glass ‘colors’ by studying their placement related to sun angles. right next to it, the three primary liturgical elements (tabernacle, altar and ambo) complement the geometries of the conical brick corner and are carved from solid pieces of dolomitic limestone through the use of digital fabrication robotic carving by the quarra stone company. PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in a curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US

 

 

within the chapel, the development of the ceiling geometry strengthens a visual connection with the tabernacle in contrast to the processional axis of the space which aligns with the solid stone carved altar. on the exterior, this important corner is accentuated by the patterning of the brick work. ironspot was selected for the brick color to distinguish the chapel from the existing hospital context and take advantage of the material’s reflective qualities which appear dynamic as light reflects off of the curving and rotating facade. PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in a curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USPLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in a curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USPLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USimage by jeffrey kilmer PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USPLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the USPLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US PLY+ wraps st mary chapel in curved brick shell with a woven pattern in the US

 

 

project info:

 

 

name: st. mary chapel

architect: PLY+

gross built area: 3274 sq.ft.

location: livonia, MI, USA

lead architect: craig borum FAIA, jen maigret AIA, william carpenter, AIA LEED ap

design team: craig, jen maigret, william carpenter, andrew wolking, masataka yoshikawa, markus boynton, annabelle guan, yibo jiao, yusi zha, mitchie nimsombum, jiashi yu, maggie shao, dinghao zhou, arvin yu

liturgical space consultant: gilbert sunghera, UDMercy

structural engineer: SDI structures

MEP engineer: IMEG

civil engineer: nederveld

lighting design: illuminart

acoustics: arcgeometer

construction management: granger