RONCHAMP GATEHOUSE AND MONASTERY
2006 – 2011, RONCHAMP, FRANCE
The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp was designed by Le Corbusier and is one of the 20th-century’s most important work of architecture. For years now, it has been a heavily frequented site of international cultural tourism. It was so frequented that the site needed urgent attention in order to restore the spirtual and religious dimension originally intended for Ronchamp by its architect. In a wider effort to improve the area, the Œuvre Notre Dame du Haut commissioned Renzo Piano Building Workshop to design a convent for the Poor Clare sisters, as well as a small new building to welcome visitors, the Porterie. Hugging the hill’s slope, the new buildings are protecteing architecture with a resolved interior featuring large picture windows that frame the woods and its light.
