The building was erected near the village of Wachendorf by local farmers. Brother Klaus (real name - Niklaus von Flüe), a Swiss peasant who lived in the 15th century, at a mature age turned to the path of Christian asceticism, became a hermit, created his own mystical doctrine, paying special attention to the Passion of Christ. He was recognized as blessed in the 17th century, but was canonized by the Catholic Church only in 1947.
The chapel is a tower-like structure with a height of 12 m, erected using the "rammed concrete" method. During its construction, something like a hut was made from solid tree trunks, which played the role of formwork. On its outer surface, 50 cm of concrete was poured over the course of 24 days. After it dried, the logs were burned, as a result, the inner surface of the chapel walls was charred and has a relief texture.
In the ceiling of the building - in the place where the top of the "hut" was located - an oculus was formed, and light also enters through small holes in the walls. In general, the interior of the iconic building is immersed in darkness - despite the fact that the sun's rays penetrating through the circular opening in the roof are reflected from the floor, covered with cast lead.
Peter Zumthor supervised the construction of the chapel from Cologne, where the museum of the local diocese "Columbus" is due to open in September this year, built on the site of the Romanesque Basilica of St. Columba destroyed during the Second World War.
