Hunter Douglas Architectural delivers solid corrugated wood ceiling for parish church

Complete renovation of a chapel: an unusual project for Hunter Douglas Architectural

It was in full containment last summer that architectural products specialist Hunter Douglas Architectural delivered a solid wood ceiling for a renovation project in Madrid. For the manufacturer, beyond the sanitary context, the particularity of the project was constituted by the place in which it was held: a church. In this case, the parish church Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows).

Francisco Dominguez Garcia, Sales Manager at Hunter Douglas España, explains “It was only the second time that we delivered a ceiling for a church. "

The new ceiling was installed as part of the renovation of the chapel. The latter is located inside the priestly residence of San Pedro (Saint Peter), which, together with the parish of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, forms a complex dating from 1902. The residence and the parish both belong to the Congregation. of San Pedro Apostol (Saint Peter, the Apostle).

The goal of the renovation project was to provide the resident priests with a chapel worthy of a life of service, but also a pleasant chapel for staff, congregants and all visitors. And this, in particular by making it more accessible and safer to use. In particular, the electrical installation, lighting and heating have been completely renovated; but, for the congregation, it was also a question of magnifying the building, so that it makes its contribution to the liturgical art of the diocese and to the spirituality of the place, by bringing it "beauty for the senses." "

A custom-made, practical, design corrugated wooden ceiling with a symbolic appearance

For this project, Hunter Douglas Architectural therefore supplied 70 m² of grid ceiling in European pine wood. During a project such as this, within a church, it is impossible not to take into account the symbolic aspect of things. Thus, the false ceiling supplied by Hunter Douglas Architectural meets, among other things, practical objectives such as acoustic improvement and the easy integration of lighting solutions; but it also had to be in harmony with the other elements and participate in the symbolism of the place.

This is why the architectural firm JGB Arquitectura was looking for a specific solution, found at Hunter Douglas Architectural.

Francisco Dominguez explains: “We were chosen because the architect wanted a solid wood ceiling with particular undulations, and we were the only ones able to create it”.

In terms of color, the wood of the ceiling is the same color as that of the benches and the desk; the whole, in harmony with the colors present on the walls which have been repainted. In terms of design, to develop the undulations as desired by the architect, Hunter Douglas Architectural created three different types of curves with grids made up of slats 90 mm high and 20 mm wide, spaced 75 mm apart. .

For the congregation, the wood of the benches, as well as the wood waving on the ceiling, symbolize the journey that man takes by the hand of God. The ripple also recalls the waves painted on one of the walls and representing a religious scene, in which Saint Peter is rescued from drowning by Jesus. The lighting, as well as the white paint on certain sections of the walls, bring a certain light to the place; echoing symbolic light.

While the project, involving supplying a ceiling for a church, is quite unusual for Hunter Douglas, it is nevertheless not unique: in Spain, the manufacturer has already delivered a HeartFelt® felt ceiling for another church. In addition, Hunter Douglas has provided ceiling and wall covering solutions for religious buildings in other countries around the world.