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Controversial architect’s tiny chapel is ‘a place to spend a moment or five’
Michael O'Sullivan has built a tiny chapel in Lyttelton. St Thérèse of Lisieux is a gift to the people of Christchurch.
AI summary
Architect Michael O'Sullivan has built St Thérèse of Lisieux, a tiny 17m² chapel in Lyttelton, as a spiritual gift to the people of Christchurch. It provides a private space for anyone to contemplate, inspired by the loss of local churches.
The design reflects the "joy of smallness" and includes significant details:
- A triangular door representing the Trinity.
- An interior lined with ancient, river-recovered rimu.
- A carving of Jesus by Johnny Hauraki from earthquake-salvaged kauri.
New Zealand artist Johnny Hauraki carved the life-size statue of Jesus on the cross from heart kauri timber beams rescued from a Christchurch warehouse damaged in the earthquakes.
The joy of smallness
The chapel is available to anyone wishing to pause in their day - the O’Sullivan family wants people to “come and enjoy it, and respect it”.
The sculpture has one arm raised and one lowered to represent Jesus on the threshold of Christianity.
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