The Lake Chapel of San Giovanni has witnessed a series of historical and geographical events marking its importance as a religious center point. Although it is being visited by pilgrims every year, in its current state, the Lake Chapel stands as a monument of abandonment with its desolate remoteness in the vast fertile terrain of Val di Lago. This image of the church represents its strong ties with the unique landscape; therefore, it would be inconsistent to think the church without considering its territorial context.
Agriculture as a Ritual - Surrounded by hills, forests and agricultural fields, Bolsena Lake is the largest volcanic lake in Europe formed in 104 BC as a result of collapse of the magmatic chamber and brought into existence the life around it. A life that born from destruction that came from the ground. Val di Lago and Lake Bolsena show the exceptional role of nature in the historic course of events and the present activities of mankind. Based on this relationship with the ground, the project intends to emphasize the agricultural roots of the area as a landscape strategy to divide the site into smaller plots and start small-scale agricultural production respecting the rural characteristics of Val di Lago as a part of the new sense of ritual for the visitors in the area while assisting the management of the pilgrim center. The visitors can plant a tree, vegetable, fruit in order to mark their contribution to the environment and their presence within this holy place as a pray or a blessing for the god. In this sense, the project focuses on the essence of a religious site, by keeping its distance from speculations on form. It brings the physical and sensory pleasure into the forefront and establishes a connection with the rural context.
Emerging From the Ground - The project appears as a blanket of agricultural landscape rather than a “building” and it hosts an extended but simple and flexible program at the eastern edge of the church where it’s possible to benefit from the decreasing elevation (2.8 m) of the terrain. While the new functions and landscape are inserperably intertwined, this new situation does not interfere with the consecrated quality of the historic building. They are placed as an underground architecture, keeping the church at the center of attention that is visible from all corners of the site.A Beacon on the Pilgrimage Route - Every design decision is an opportunity to offer something to puclic more then anticipated, a common ground for the community. The pilgrim center stands as a welcoming space for all, placing the church in a position where it can be seen as a beacon showing the way or as a destination for the pilgrims to stay. For this purpose, the new intervention to the church aims to highlight the difference between the old and new while increasing the church’s significance as a reference point in Val di Lago.
Diversity & Flexibility - The new program offers wide range of services including a horse barn for those who experience the pilgrimage with their horses and a bike storage for bicycle riders. The multipurpose festivity area is designed to be used for all kinds of open or closed space activities, gatherings, celebratitions and even bazaars. Dining hall serves both the visitors and pilgrims who spends the night in the center. The center also includes a large warehouse for the storage of the agricultural products that’s been produced with the pilgrims.
The New and The Old - In order to emphasize the distinction between the new and the old in the and highlight the damaged parts around the perimeter of the church, fiber glass material is used. Based on the decision to make the church the most striking object in the area, the roof has been raised slightly, preserving its plan layout. The light steel structure supporting the roof rests over the church walls and harmoniously integrates with the interior of the church. In addition, lighting and translucent fabric that refracts sunlight are also carried by the roof structure. The interior is designed to be used in a central plan layout, emphasizing the orthogonal shape of the church. In this context, lighting and translucent fabric were placed in harmony with the central design.
The Rebirth of the La Fiera - The visitors are welcomed into the site from the north through a ramp that gently leads them to the Pilgrim Center placed at the lower level. The ramps go along with the retaining walls made of tuff for visitors to engrave their or their loved ones’ names on them as a reinterpretation of the unofficial ritual that has been seen in many pilgrimage routes around the world. The event space together with the auditorium is designed to be capable of hosting a part of La Fiera di San Giovanni celebrated every 24th of June so the church can reoccupy this religious status in its history once again and repair its links not just with the pilgrims but the whole community. Other two entrance on the eastern side allow service access for vehicles and controlled with gates.
