THE TEMPLE
Skuli Mogensen
ARCHITECTS
Skuli Mogensen
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Skuli Mogensen
ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > OTHER
Verkis
PHOTOGRAPHS
Jon Ragnar
AREA
252 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Iceland
CATEGORY
Installations & Structures, Religious Architecture, Chapel
English description provided by the architects.
As an outdoor sculpture, the Temple measures roughly 18 meters long and 14 meters wide. Built from exposed architectural concrete, it is open to the elements.
The roof "floats" above the structure in the shape of a Maltese Cross, while the floor echoes the Celtic Cross, with a central circle that can serve as a fire pit in line with pagan tradition.
The design blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, casting dramatic shadows as sunlight enters from openings aligned to the cardinal directions.
The Temple began as a personal promise from Skúli to his wife, Gríma, that he would build her a church for their wedding. Construction began in 2024 and was completed just in time for their wedding on August 16, 2025.
The design draws on both ancient sacred spaces, such as the Pantheon in Rome, and the architecture of Tadao Ando, whose use of concrete, open space, and natural light Skúli wanted to bring into the design.
The Temple is built from exposed concrete, cast entirely on site, and its ground-level cross is made of solid oak planks that mirror the floating cross above it in the roof.
