The first new-build wooden church building to be built in London since the Great Fire of London. This chapel was commissioned by the Holy See of Rome for the Belarusian Diaspora Community in London to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. In Belarus alone, almost 25% of its territory and 20% of its population suffered in the aftermath of the disaster, as 70% of the radioactive fallout fell on Southern Belarus. This chapel has been designed to serve as a reminder of the traumatic loss of a great number rural settlements in Belarus and Ukraine. The design draws inspiration from the rural wooden churches in Belarus, and aims to combine their traditional architectural language with contemporary building technologies and concepts. The materials palette was restricted to wood and glass to reflect the austere and tranquil beauty of traditional wooden churches.
©Joakim Boren
Photographs mounted on chipboard wall. Remembering Chernobyl Exhibition 04 JUNE – 26 JUNE 2016, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Spheron Architects, 2016.
Detail of exterior wall. Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Spheron Architects, 2016.
Timber church structure in garden. Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Spheron Architects, 2016.
Interior view towards church entrance. Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Spheron Architects, 2016.
Dusk view towards illuminated timber church from garden. Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Spheron Architects, 2016.