Steyn’s architecture is the ultimate divine inspiration

Coetzee Steyn is the architect behind the astonishing Bosjes chapel built on a wine farm in the Breede River Valley.

What drew you to a career in architecture?

Process and exploration… I’m originally from Montagu, which is a small Klein Karoo dorpie. I didn’t know what an architect was until I almost left school. I knew what a doctor was because my uncle was one; and he drove a nice car. I wanted to be a doctor, until I saw blood for the first time. Meanwhile I was trying to design cars, to redraw them to perfection from magazines and at the same time trying to finish my woodshop project, which I happened to be very good at. I had no formal art education.

At some point I wanted to be a signwriter and this took me to an interest in graphic design, with industrial design and architecture following. I think these experiences make me reluctant to be ‘shoeboxed’, which is why, whilst Steyn Studio is architecturally focussed, we are always open to other design opportunities, in the same way as we draw inspiration from them.

With a remote location like Bosjes, does a building have a consciousness in shaping societies around it?

In some instances. In the case of Bosjes, the client is part of a legacy of wanting to give back to the local community, as both a nearby old chapel and school were donated by close ancestors in the past. It is hoped that through making a significant investment into the creation of this new development, the well-being of the community as a whole will be improved.

There is also a new local school planned as part of a second phase, replacing an old farm school nearby. We always intended for the chapel to be beautiful and awe-inspiring, and from the amazing response it has had locally and internationally it has already become somewhat of an icon, which is hoped to draw more people to the Breede River Valley [between Ceres and Worcester].

American architect Lance Hosey said if something isn’t beautiful, it’s not sustainable. How do you see the relationship between visual beauty and environmental sustainability?

Millions or even billions of years have led to the slow evolution of nature, which includes man. Everything in symbiosis. Beautiful and environmentally sustainable. Unfortunately, man’s impatience with this slow process is turning things ugly. These days, superficial beauty often comes at the expense of something or someone else.

What needs to be considered 

in order to deliver 

a long utilisation 

cycle?

Simplicity, essential functionality and quality. This is the reason Apple products are so successful. Some music, fashion, design (and dare I say architecture) has a very short shelf life.

Architect Richard Meier has spoken about cities like New York being disrespected by private developers who lack any social good. What obligation, if any, 

do you think private developers or big 

metropoles have on designing with 

social responsibility?

The short answer is 100 per cent obligation.

White is a contemporary colour, and contrasts against a backdrop like the mountains around Bosjes, yet it is essentially all colours, reflecting light and the colours of nature. What inspired the use of white in the chapel?

You are right; white is the culmination of all colours, the purest of all. It had to be pure, which has a religious connotation. Of course, the heritage of Cape Dutch architecture, with its white-washed walls and ornate gables, also had a strong influence here.

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma talks about a respect for tradition. Was it daunting creating such a radically redesigned religious space?

Regular is quite an ‘angular’ word. What is now traditional was once ‘radical’. Imagine when they first started building Gothic cathedrals. I was fortunate to have clients who are on the same wavelength, which I think is a very important element in the creation of good architecture.

Does architecture need to take on a country by country approach or do you think it’s a global language like art?

Many things, like music  for example, have a universal rhythm, but it is the local cultural elements (the language, the instruments, or how they are played) which makes them unique. This is what make things special, creates character, and in the end resonates more particularly to the specific ‘listeners’. Context is key.

Do you still sketch?

Of course! Most ideas start with a pen and paper.

What are your top three inspirations?

Everything. I know it’s the wrong answer. One thing grabbing my attention is the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’. We are in it right now, or at least at the start of it, especially with the decentralisation of mass production through 3D printing. It is almost like we are going back to the Bronze Age, but in a good way. I wish we could have 3D printed the chapel at full scale in concrete. I’m sure if we were to build it in five years’ time we could have. In fact, we did investigate this, but it was not financially feasible, and it would have needed a different material than concrete.

What are your life essentials?

My family, my bicycle, my creativity and time.

The chapel casts dramatic shadows – how much does light occupy your mind when designing?

A lot. Light shapes space, your experience, as well as perception of it. One only has to look at the way the appearance of a mountain changes as the sun moves over it; with the shadows and colour bringing out different features of it.

If buildings have narratives, what do you hope the Bosjes development’s will be?

Your own narrative. I know that a lot has been revealed about the elements that influenced the design of it, but I would prefer if people make it more personal to themselves. A bit like finding the shapes in clouds, or singing one of your favourite songs to which you don’t exactly know all the words so you make up your own. I still get disappointed when people tell me what the actual lyrics are. They should stop printing lyrics inside CD leaflets.

What are the thought processes around designing a building to fit within a city or nature?

In cities you work within an urban context with planning regulations to guide the growth in a controlled way. Your ‘customer’ therefore is the city and you should seek its interests. In the context of Bosjes, our primary ‘customer’ was nature, followed by heritage. If you start with the latter two as direct references, the end result is bound to be different, but it doesn’t mean our thought process is different.