Fractal Chapel at State Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
The Fractal Chapel at State Hospital Graz in Graz, Austria, designed by architecture firm Innocad (Graz, Austria), took home Best of Competition honors in the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA; Chicago) 51st annual Interior Design Competition.
The winning space is designed to offer tranquility to patients and staff in a warm, comforting, and relaxing space.
The project team incorporated biophilic elements and natural materials, such as wood in the ceiling, flooring, and benches, and an altar by Austrian artist Manfred Erjautz that’s crafted from the upside-down rootstock of a walnut tree.
Perforated wall panels filter both natural and artificial light to create fractal patterns that change throughout the day, contributing to a sense of calm and transcendence.
Lighting strategies for healthcare chapels
“This interplay of light and shadow enhances the sensory experience, supports circadian rhythms, and amplifies the expressive yet serene atmosphere of the chapel,” says Innocad’s Martin Lesjak, architect on the project.
The space was designed in a collaboration between Innocad, product design firm 13&9 (Graz, Austria), and University of Oregon Physics Professor Richard Taylor, whose research on the psychological, physiological, and neurological responses to fractal patterns concluded that looking at fractals can reduce stress levels by 60 percent.
“Beyond its spiritual purpose, the space functions as a personal retreat—even emergency staff turn to it with patients and family members as a place for calming and emotional relief during acute situations,” Lesjak says. “The space also incorporates religious scenography, with a low entrance leading into a double-height sanctuary, reinforcing the transition into a meditative atmosphere.”
For more on the competition, visit iida.org.
Robert McCune is senior editor of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
