Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel

The Moyer Family

Portland, Oregon

1992

1,500 sq ft

Dramatically perched on the edge of a 130-foot high basalt cliff on the grounds of a suburban Catholic sanctuary, the chapel offers panoramic views of neighboring Washington State and the Columbia River Gorge.Following a winding trail through a wooded area with large rock formations, the path to the chapel offers intermittent glimpses of the structure before terminating in a small plaza. A shallow water feature on each side of the trail marks the procession to the entry. As the visitor moves to the entry the water plane falls away, and the walkway remains level, separating the temporal world from the spiritual.

Essentially a quarter-circle in plan and truncated at the apex to form an entrance, the wall at the ground plane compresses at right angle and—in the image of a holy man—gestures skyward. The soffits between the walls are infilled with glass to capture reflections from the pools and project them onto interior surfaces. With the exception of the glass entry doors, the elevation is a solid form of polished granite. Once inside, the visitor is met by a stunning view to the north, visible through a 28-foot tall curved glass wall. Tom Moyer requested a quiet space for thought and meditation that offered a place for solace in honor of his late wife. The result is a building religious by virtue of its location and artwork, and expressive of peace and beauty.