thin concrete walls frame tiny chapel by S-AR, built from its own remains

S-AR reinterprets a chapel through thin concrete walls

Set within a garden in Santiago, Nuevo León, Mexico, the Oratory Chapel by S-AR is conceived as a small-scale structure that reinterprets a previous chapel once located on the same site. The project reuses elements from the earlier construction, establishing a spatial and material continuity between past and present.

The chapel is defined by two reinforced concrete walls, each 8 cm thick, set at varying heights along a diagonal. These walls support a thin concrete slab of 6.5 cm, forming a narrow, tunnel-like space. The construction follows a regular formwork modulation, while openings left within the wall system allow light and air to pass through, softening the enclosure. At one end, the increased height enables access into the interior space formed between the structural elements.

all images courtesy of S-AR

reused brick and steel carry memory into the chapel interior

Inside, a wooden bench rests on a floor of crushed red brick, introducing a contrasting texture to the concrete envelope. At the lower end of the structure, a geometric iron cross made of metal profiles defines the boundary of the space. This element, along with the crushed brick, exposed reinforcement bars, and existing foundation, originates from the previous chapel, which was built in the same orientation and scale.

Through this reuse, the project by S-AR Studio operates as a continuation rather than a replacement. Materials from the earlier structure are reassembled into a new configuration, allowing the chapel to retain traces of its former presence. The result is a compact architectural intervention that integrates memory, material, and site into a single, continuous form.

the Oratory Chapel by S-AR is set within a garden in Santiago, Nuevo León

the project reinterprets a chapel previously built on the same site

elements from the earlier structure are reused in the new construction

two reinforced concrete walls define the chapel’s form

a thin concrete slab spans across the walls

the structure forms a narrow, tunnel-like space

openings in the walls allow light and air to pass through

inside, a wooden bench is placed along the interior edge

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model

model

isometric drawing

exploded isometric drawing

project info:

name: Oratory Chapel

architect: S-AR | @stacionarq

collaborator: Carlos Morales

location: Santiago, Nuevo León, México

area: 4.6 sqm