Byzantine Fresco Chapel

The Byzantine Fresco Chapel is a museum in Houston displaying restored medieval religious artworks in a modern structure of glass, stone, and wood. The building sits on the Menil Collection campus and uses a large skylight to flood the interior with natural light.

The chapel was built to house two restored frescoes from the 13th century that were rescued from art thieves in Cyprus in 1983. These medieval works remained on display in Houston until their return to their home country in 2012.

The chapel functions as both an art exhibition space and a consecrated religious site where Orthodox ceremonies and sacred music performances still occur. Visitors experience the connection between medieval artworks and living religious practice in a single space.

The building offers ample natural lighting that makes viewing the artworks comfortable throughout the day. Access is straightforward, and the setting provides a calm environment for exploring the collection at your own pace.

The building is precisely aligned with cardinal directions, with facades facing exactly north, south, east, and west. This geometric precision shapes the structural harmony that defines how the space is organized.