Almada Catholic Church Mistur's Design Development Studio - Spring 2007 Georgens, Michelle Churches Sanctuaries (religious building spaces) Religious buildings Religious symbolism Architectural lighting Inspiration The Almada Catholic church was designed to imply a higher force both physically and spiritually. The sun and the moon change the space over time. This is similar to the definition of spirituality. This is why I decided to design a church, a space where wonder is inspirational in the form of the church. The architecture seems to float up from the land and levitate. Light is reflected off of the water and onto the levitated surfaces suggesting the strength of the power above. My scheme addresses the issue of sacred space by separating the sanctuary physically from the land and allows the water to engulf the site. The sanctuary needs to inspire prayer and hope through the strength of the architecture. It is to evoke thought of that which is not on this earth, by restricting views to the exterior but allowing light to penetrate the space from unseen openings. The walls work as a canvas for the light. Light appears at the top of the sanctuary as it reflects from the water onto the ceiling. In the sanctuary there is no view of the outside world School of Architecture. (Troy, NY: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 2007) Images Digital Jpeg2000 Almada, Purtugal 2007 Spring semester Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Almada Catholic Church
Mistur's Design Development Studio - Spring 2007
Georgens, Michelle
Churches
Sanctuaries (religious building spaces)
Religious buildings
Religious symbolism
Architectural lighting
Inspiration
The Almada Catholic church was designed to imply a higher force both physically and spiritually. The sun and the moon change the space over time. This is similar to the definition of spirituality. This is why I decided to design a church, a space where wonder is inspirational in the form of the church. The architecture seems to float up from the land and levitate. Light is reflected off of the water and onto the levitated surfaces suggesting the strength of the power above. My scheme addresses the issue of sacred space by separating the sanctuary physically from the land and allows the water to engulf the site. The sanctuary needs to inspire prayer and hope through the strength of the architecture. It is to evoke thought of that which is not on this earth, by restricting views to the exterior but allowing light to penetrate the space from unseen openings. The walls work as a canvas for the light. Light appears at the top of the sanctuary as it reflects from the water onto the ceiling. In the sanctuary there is no view of the outside world
School of Architecture. (Troy, NY: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 2007)
Images
Digital
Jpeg2000
Almada, Purtugal
2007 Spring semester
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY