Feature:
BON SECOURS HOSPITAL CHAPEL,
GALWAY
An ‘oasis’ of contemplation away from
hustle and bustle
Featured in Issue 104 Mar/Apr 2007
 Brief
The architects design intent was to create a chapel
that would become an oasis perched away from the
normal hustle and bustle of the hospital daily
routine. The chapel is a focal point for the new
day hospital providing a place to pray, to reflect
on one’s life, to contemplate, to find solace
and to seek meaning. In the chapel, the architect’s
set out to achieve a literal and spiritual space
within which all of these needs are allowed room
to breathe.
The chapel is designed for a congregation of between
35 -40 people.
Site Context
The site is located at the Bon Secours Hospital
Galway,
within a courtyard setting and lying along the
main hospital circulation axis.
Design Concept
 In
contrast to the functionality of the hospitals
rectilinear forms, the chapel finds its own expression
metaphorically derived from ripples created from
stones cast into a body of water. The ripples
randomly intersect each other, linking together
to form a fluid curve that encloses a space of
still water.
The Chapel has two curved walls, one which is
translucent and the other opaque. The east facing
translucent wall (glass), addresses the dawn of
everyday and the west facing opaque wall (concrete),
addresses dusk of everyday.
Inspired by the ecclesiastical tradition of stained
glass windows the curved glass wall provided the
opportunity to explore colour and form. Stained
glass was considered but the segmented method
of this art form would work against the curvature
of the wall. A more fluid solution was required
and the option of commissioning a painting was
explored.
The depth of colour and abstraction of form of
Hughie O’Donoghue’s liturgically inspired
works lend themselves to this project. On describing
the concept of the project to Hughie, he was immediately
enthused about his work being shown in a different
way – in this case being illuminated from
behind.
Hughie O’Donoghue responded by depicting
the liturgical cycle on the 4.8 metre tall by
11 metre long curved glass wall. The glass wall
is made up of 9 panels of curved glass each segment
derived from two radii. By using two radii only
two glass moulds were needed and it allowed us
to curve the glass wall in two directions forming
a sense of enclosure. Hughie works with oil paint
and builds his painting by a process of layering
materials. For the first time Hughie’s work
was going to be illuminated from the rear and
the task was set to see how we could achieve his
layering technique and retain the vividness of
his colours in glass.
The chapel is orientated on an east-west axis.
To the east the curved glass wall containing Hughie’s
depiction of the liturgical cycle is illuminated
by daylight. As the day progresses the sun’s
rays hit the wall at different angles illuminating
the individual elements of the story until dusk.
To the west a curved concrete wall imprinted with
timber grain in a board on board manner encloses
the building.
The contrasting sides of the chapel reflect the
life cycle. The joy of new life, the rays of the
rising sun penetrating into the chapel core and
continually illuminating Hughie O’Donoghue’s
painting until, as with life, the brightness of
the suns rays can no longer shine and only shadows
remain. The concrete wall has a timber grain cast
into its solid mass and is impenetrable to light.
As recorded in the liturgical cycle and depicted
in Hughie’s painting the Risen Christ symbolised
by bright yellow/orange colours, life is breathed
back into the world on the following day by the
rising sun illuminating the cycle once more. Again
we can experience the liturgical cycle depicted
by Hughie’s painting which is illuminated
by the sun as it follows its daily course over
Galway Bay.
The flowing wall of glass and concrete reflect
movement and eddies as if created by moving water.
Water a symbol of the healing process. Eddies
provide places of calm and stillness, a place
to allow a person to be at peace.
As night falls, artificial light within the chapel
illuminates the glass wall and the liturgical
cycle can now be interpreted externally as if
in defiance of the natural darkness of the night.
Construction
Curved Concrete Wall
The curved concrete wall measuring 4.5 metres
high by 18 metres long was cast in a single pour
of concrete. Douglas fir board on board planks
were sandblasted to enhance the timber grain effect
on the concrete finish. PERI “RUNDFLEX”
modular formwork system was used. After the formwork
was struck, the timber shuttering was cleaned
down and reused internally as wall cladding and
painted.
Curved Glass Wall
In regard to the glass wall discussions between
the architect and the glazing sub-contractor Duggan’s
Sales Systems and the glazing specialist Cricursa
in Barcelona we came up with a technique where
we could use high resolution photographic images
printed onto a sheet of interlayer, with a semi
opaque white film on the outer face. The films
were then sandwiched between two sheets of curved
glass 4.8 metres tall. The semi opaque white film
on the outside of the sandwich was used to visually
hold the colour of the painting when sunlight
hit the glass panel. The pixilation of the image,
interlayer film and sheets of glass give an overall
layering effect to Hughie’s work when illuminated.
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