Chapel at St. Joseph's Church in Gdańsk

Aleksander Piwek

doi:10.37190/arc220301

Chapel at St. Joseph's Church in Gdańsk

Abstract

The subject of this article is the chapel located in the former Gdańsk Carmelite monastery complex. The results of the architectural research carried out in it in 2014–2015 are presented. As a result, the time and purpose of the building’s construction were established. The original appearance and traces of later alterations were also recognised. The recesses found on the longitudinal walls, of similar dimensions, not reaching the floor, were considered to be the original decoration of the chapel. Other details, such as the original passage into the church and the west matroneum, also belonged to it. The wide cupboard recesses reaching to the floor were evidence of later changes, also linked to the function of the sacristy. Other changes include a major redesign of the interior at the beginning of the 20th century. This involved the construction of two stone pillars and the installation of vaults on top of them. Recent construction and restoration work has left exposed medieval details, some reconstructed in fragments or even as a whole. Traces of alterations considered secondary have been eliminated. The principle adopted allowed the medieval decoration of the chapel to be shown to a considerable extent for the first time in centuries. The building is one of the most interesting to be found in the city today.