13/04 - An Architectural Pilgrimage, Ronchamp

Four hours after we departed from Basel we were still on a regional train speeding into the mountains of the French Jura. A tiny stop at the tiny mountain village Ronchamp. Le Corb's masterpiece stands above them all on a hill. Passing by an old mining structure, a 20-minute walk uphill brought us to the entrance.

The rain stopped. Lush-green lawns. Concrete of every finishes. Modernist details. A stroll around the chapel reveals a continuously changing facade. We stayed for a couple of hours, from early afternoon to sunset, and entered the chapel several times in between. This is a building to stroll around, a facade to ponder upon. Be patient, and one will get rewarded. No photographic documentation can justly translate the spiritual interiors into images. Light is the key: light through stain-glass, slits of light between walls and the ceiling, voids of light above prayer areas, the alter light box of Virgin Mary, red, blue, yellow, green. Le Corb's personal touch can be found everywhere, including the painted entrance door. From the first minute and on, we had undoubtedly fallen in love with the building. A sensational experience. A day of revelation: being an architect can be fun, now I finally understand.