In contrast to historic religious edifices, these architecturally daring sanctuaries are meant to offer respite and inspire reflection on a more personal scale. Here are nine minimalist masterpieces from around the globe, built to foster connection with their natural landscapes while still offering intimations of the divine.
Field Chapel, Bödigheim, Germany
The simple form of this chapel—an enclosed base and louvered tower, evocative of the surrounding farm buildings—belies its notable backstory: Architecture students at the Illinois Institute of Technology designed it, and together with local craftsmen and townspeople in a rural region of southern Germany, brought it to life. Reachable only by foot or bicycle, it has become a place of quiet reflection for hikers, cyclists, and walkers.
Kapelle Salgenreute, Krumbach, Austria
When the 200-year-old church on this site was deemed beyond restoration, Bernardo Bader Architects designed a new chapel that evokes the form of the original, but reimagined as a simple, steeply peaked structure with a view of nature framed by a window at the end of the apse.
Valleacerón Chapel, Almadén, Spain
Like an intricate piece of origami, this chapel by Sancho-Madridejos architects is constructed from concrete shaped into elaborate folds that gradually reveal themselves. With no artificial lighting, the position of the sun changes the hue of the concrete and the play of light throughout the day.
White Temple, Kyoto, Japan
In contrast to the traditional veneration of paternal ancestors in Japan, this Buddhist temple honors maternal ancestors, enveloping worshipers in a “womblike atmosphere,” says architect Takashi Yamaguchi. The interior lightens and darkens with the sky, forming a halo effect behind a Buddha on a stair-stepped white altar. By day, the building is a solid concrete volume; at night, the exterior recedes as its luminous interior glows.
Holy Rosary Chapel, St. Amant, Louisiana, United States
This oratory by Trahan Architects was inspired by the sacred space of the womb, its six equal sides creating an interior that “feels encompassing, protective, and mysterious,” explain its creators. Built using only concrete and glass, light enters through concealed openings carved within the walls, symbolizing the mystery of the divine.
Capilla San Bernardo, La Playosa, Argentina
Built entirely from terra-cotta bricks on a site with no electricity or utilities, this chapel designed by Nicolás Campodonico features a gracefully curved, fluid interior. A large half-dome cutout, open toward the sun, reveals a view of separate vertical and horizontal wood poles, the shadows of which inch across the walls, eventually meeting to form a cross at the end of each day.
Seashore Chapel, Beidaihe, China
Imagined by Vector Architects as a boat that had washed ashore, the chapel’s stucco structure is accessed by a large staircase leading up from the beach. Inside the plainspoken sanctuary, a wide window overlooking the water makes visitors feel as though they’re floating on the sea. Narrow openings and diminutive windows filter the light and illuminate a simple cross.
Wooden Chapel, Unterliezheim, Germany
The Seven Chapels project in southern Germany provides cyclists with a place to take shelter, as well as pause and reflect. Architect John Pawson intended this chapel’s design to feel like a found object at the edge of the forest—a pile of logs stacked to dry, or a sculpture. The slender structure’s interior is evocative of being within a dense forest, with a simple bench for contemplation, an unglazed window framing the landscape, and a thin cross of amber glass that glows within the darkened, hallowed space.
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