LOCATION AND SURROUNDINGS – The chapel is located in the northern part of Southkoster and is Sweden's westernmost place of worship. The site is completely secluded in a valley directly below and east of Valfjäll, the island's highest mountain, and is sheltered from westerly winds. The property is only slightly hilly and opens onto the flat valley. The cemetery is separate, on a slope towards Kostersundet, just over a kilometer north-northeast of the chapel.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXISTING CHURCH – The first place of worship on the island, Kosters Chapel was consecrated in 1939. The drawings were designed by Knut Nordenskjöld.
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR – The architecture is characterized by 20th-century classicism with elements of national romanticism. The building is made of paneled wood. The central roof section is raised and has a gable roof. The roofs of the side sections are pitched. The church has a single nave with a small extension east of the altar. The stained glass in the round window in the chancel is by Yngve Lundström and N.P. Ringström. The sacristy is located next to the north wall of the chancel. On the west side is a tower with a high spire. The tower has a recessed upper section with wide, semicircular light openings. The ground floor serves as an armory and is the same width as the church. The interior is covered by a recessed barrel vault and features decorative paintings (marbling) by Carl Otto Svensson. The interior decoration corresponds to the year the church was built. Below the round window in the east hangs the altarpiece by Gunnar Torhamn. The pews are open.
This information was compiled by the National Antiquities Board, Building Register / Research Project Parish Churches, Cultural Heritage and Building History 1996.
Translated by Google •
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