Holbol Gable
The form is further refined by means of the inter-
pretation of the baroque ‘Holbol’ gable in the edge
profile and the roof shape. The main characteristic
of this style of gable is that of the combination of
outward and inward curvatures, which results in
a series of ‘peaks’ and ‘valleys’ within the roof
itself. Similar to Mission Churches it has no vertical
elements and the form is generally horizontal. As
with the gables present on these churches, the
identifying element on the Chapel is that of its roof.
on the centre line. Apart from a 3D model, TV3
also produced 130 drawing-sections through the
chapel roof.
The intricate shape and curves of the Chapel
roof were formed by using props and 584 purpose
made timber trusses. 3,13km of timber battens
were installed on the trusses for the formwork
and this, in turn, was clad with timber plywood
that was soaked in water for 24 hours to enable it
to follow the curves. 8,175kg of steel/rebar was
Missionary Churches
Apart from investigating the local history of
the farm the architects also looked at Moravian
Missionary Stations as inspiration. The aim of the
chapel is also to reflect the following qualities
present in the historic missionary churches of
Mamre, Elim and Wupperthal: Utilitarian simplicity
of its plan as an assembly space; Scale; Cultural
reference; Tranquility of the white lit interiors; and
‘tactileness’ of the undulating whitewashed walls.
However, whereas these churches are mostly
inward looking and spiritually reflective, the
proposed chapel is a more ‘open’ space which
invites one in, as well as expands its intimacy to the
valley and mountains beyond, raising the awareness
of God’s creation in the immediate surroundings.
Chapel Roof
A 1:2 scale sample of a section of the roof was
constructed at PERI Cape Town for the team to
workshop all the relevant details and finishes. The
whole structure was divided into eight sections,
of which four were identical quarters and mirrored
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