Plans for Underground Chapel in Raleigh

TED Fellow and world-renowned Spanish architect Xavier Vilalta has created plans for an underground chapel on Ebenezer Church Road adjacent to Umstead Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The idea came to my friend Mark Boone 10 years ago while sitting there next to the natural spring. The initial concept was simple: create a place for people to come and find peace, hope, and healing.

The vision is to carve a chapel from the underground granite that will last for centuries to come. Mark and Xavier have assembled a worldwide team of experts to design a completely safe structure that will serve people as a sacred refuge for generations to come. Using the latest technology, the Chapel will be 45 feet underground and will need no heat, electricity, or even a sound system. A landmark tower will stand high above to hold chapel bells and to bring light and ventilation to the interior.

The Chapel will be a place of quiet contemplation and give its visitors a deep sense of connectedness. I’ve walked this peaceful land many times and I share Mark’s and Xavier’s dream to see the chapel completed. I invite you to visit the Ebenezer Chapel’s website and donate if you can: go to www.ebzchapel.com.

When we seek to understand the lives of those who walked before us, we look at what they left behind. What will we leave behind and how will we be understood?

Interior Designer, Lisa Stewart, with Lead Architect, Xavier Vilalta,
at the Boone home in Raleigh NC.

Lisa Stewart is an interior designer serving the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC.