Surface Design Awards Supreme Winner 2015: Ospedale Giovanni XXIII Chapel

The Ospedale Giovanni XXIII Chapel designed by Traversi + Traversi Architetti and Aymeric Zublena has won not only the category Public Building Interior Surface but also the Supreme Award, the highest recognition, at the Surface Design Awards held yesterday, 12 February 2015, in London.

Construction of this exceptionally beautiful chapel in Bergamo, Italy, was completed last summer. The interior features precast concrete panels with a GCArt&Design™ pattern. The chapel forms part of a hospital dedicated to Pope Saint John XXIII and was designed by French architect Aymeric Zublena together with Italian architects Pippo and Ferdinando Traversi . The chapel was consecrated on the feast day of Saint John XXIII, 11 October 2014, which was also the anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.

The contemporary church makes a strong architectural statement while creating a peaceful space for prayer and contemplation. The minimalist interior features light wood and warm white precast concrete walls with the GCArt&Design™ pattern. Designer of the pattern, Stefano Arienti took his inspiration from the Garden of Eden, as reflected by the flowers, plants and shrubs that are repeated in the pattern. The floral imagery was realised using delicate rasterised images and a dedicated concrete mix-design, creating an overall impression that is light, airy and calm. The natural light that enters the chapel through round openings in the walls and in the ceiling completes the breathtakingly beautiful effect.

“ Graphic concrete was an excellent choice in terms of both the theme and visual appearance of the building, as well as from the artistic and economic perspective. The creation of this unique building required precise image processing, rasterising, manufacturing and installation of the large panels ,” comments Ivo Allas , Design Director of the Styl-Comp Group , which was responsible for the precast concrete engineering and production.