Cutting-edge religious architecture around the world
Cutting-edge religious architecture around the world
As we move further into the modern world, so do our religious and spiritual monuments. Here, we take a closer look at the projects that are at the forefront of religious architecture, highlighting future and recently completed structures that are leaving their mark on the collective memory of what a place of worship should look like in China, Brazil, Norway and beyond
Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017
Han Wen-Qiang, architect and founder of ARCHSTUDIO, followed Zen principles and integrated the Waterside Buddhist Shrine closely within its rural location in China. The shrine, a place for meditation and contemplation, is buried within the earth and runs parallel to a small river, designed to avoid any tree trunks and help people to understand and co-exist with nature.
Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017
Smoothly flowing through the site, the plan is arranged like the branches of a tree. Five spaces with different functions – including an entrance, Buddhist meditation room, tea room, living room and bathroom – curve and connect, allowing the visitor to naturally drift through the space.
Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Waterside Buddhist Shrine, Tangshan, Hebei, China, by ARCHSTUDIO
Completed 2017
Filtered through the trees, sunlight enters the meditation room through a skylight. Restful shadows are cast onto the concrete walls, which have been impressed with strips of pine wood to create a wood grain pattern. Textures and colours complement each other across the shrine – bespoke furniture is made from a light grey wood; interior flooring is made of a light terrazzo, and outside in the courtyard smooth white pebbles are grouted with cement.
Photography: Wang Ning, Jin Weiqi. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Seville, by Pablo M Millán
Completed 2017
An extension to the Parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary in the heart of Seville, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a simple container of light and peace designed by architect Pablo Millán as a sancta santorum – a small scared space specified for an intimate encounter with God. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Seville, by Pablo M Millán
Completed 2017
The rectangular roof light sunken into the ceiling and, in collaboration with the white walls and pale marble stone tiling that flows up from floor to the walls, brings a luminosity to the space, that also serves the adjacent church as a source of light. The clean geometry and extreme minimalism references the Franciscan style of architecture that is free from adornment and has a cool, sobering effect on worshippers. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016
Christianity has been in China since the 14th century, via Orthodox Russians and missionaries from Macau. It’s a growing population – destined to become the world’s largest – and in Jiangsu province, churches are rising to meet demand. However Neri & Hu’s chapel, in the silk town of Suzhou, is hardly familiar as such. Celebrated for embracing modern silhouettes and industrial materials, the duo has designed an enigmatic sanctuary surrounded by the city’s trademark canals. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb
Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016
Visitors approach the white cube along labyrinthine walls of antique brick laid at perpendicular angles. The central ‘box’ is punctured with windows at all levels, trading views for natural light. Yet the designers have overlaid a scrim of perforated metal, which protects privacy during prayer and adds a sheen that allows interior light to glow through after dark. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb
Suzhou Chapel, China by Neri & Hu
Completed 2016
Inside, a 12m chapel with wood-slat panelling is furnished with custom wood pews and bronze-arm globe pendants. Concrete staircases lead to a deep wood mezzanine, for internal views, and a rooftop deck, for views across the waterways. Each are spiritual in their own right. Photography: Pedro Pegenaute. Writer: Ellen Himelfarb
The Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London by Spheron Architects
Completed 2016
Located in Woodside Park, North London, this pocket-sized chapel designed by Spheron Architects has been built for the Belarusian diaspora community, dedicated to the memory of victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. At just 69 sq m and designed to accommodate 40 worshippers, the Belarusian Memorial Chapel is a unique construction layered with history and context. Spheron Architects director Tszwai So, travelled to Belarus to research traditional wooden churches and buildings deserted since the Chernobyl disaster, using his findings to design the chapel. Photography: Joakim Boren. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
The Belarusian Memorial Chapel, London by Spheron Architects
Completed 2016
Elements such as the domed spire and timber shingle roof will be recognizable to Belarusians visiting the chapel, which is set in the wooded ground of Marian House, a cultural centre for the UK Belarusian community. The project is technically fascinating with its detailed and ornamental use of timber – the architects included contemporary twists such as an undulating frill at the flank of the walls on the exterior. It is, quite incredibly, the first wooden church to be built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. Photography: Joakim Boren. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
El Señor de la Misericordia, Mexico by Moneo Brock
Completed 2016
Designed by architects Moneo Brock, this landmark parish church is located in Monterrey, Mexico, in the central plaza of the new urban township surrounded by a striking mountainscape. Comprising an abstract collision of flat facades, the tallest tower rises up 43m, heralding its community function as the religious, social and educational heart of the town. The 11.5m-wide doorway, with trapezoidal canopy cantilevering off the main facade, allows the architecture of the church to become a part of the square. Photography: Belén Moneo. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
El Señor de la Misericordia, Mexico by Moneo Brock
Completed 2016
Visualising a contemporary piece of architecture using the vocabulary of traditional ecclesiastical designs, the firm looked to early Christian temple prototypes and the styles of the very first churches built in the American south-west by Friar Junípero. The plan is based on that of a basilica – with a rectangular central nave, which runs from north to south along its long axis. Moneo Brock integrated striking details within the interior design, including three stained glass windows and a design feature above the altar where the wall is cut into the shape of a Latin cross and lit from above by a skylight, which casts light across the space. Photography: Jorge Taboada
Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016
This contemporary interpretation of a traditional Qatari mosque follows the founding principles of Islamic architecture with a modernism sense of simplicity and function. Located within the Msheireb Heritage Quarter, a centre of religious and political power, care was taken to create a serene environment for prayer, considering orientation, shade, natural ventilation and water within the design. Photography: Hufton and Crow. Writer: Harriet Thorpe
Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016
Built of concrete and regionally sourced limestone cladding, the double square plan and perfect cube shape of the mosque have been devised to the proportions of classical Islamic architecture where the use of geometry and pattern plays a role within religious activity. A perforated roof in the prayer hall casts a pattern of daylight across the space. Photography: Hufton and Crow
Jumaa Mosque, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2016
The stone minaret tapers elegantly towards the top, requiring a bespoke cutting method for the stone construction. Here it can be seen through the metal gates, patterned with traditional Islamic designs which enclose the courtyard and entrance pavilion. Photography: Hufton and Crow
Church Nostra Signora della Misericordia, Baranzate
Completed 2015
A town north-west of Milan has seen its well-loved 1950s church meticulously restored to its former glory. An understated modernist masterpiece, the original project was coordinated by Angelo Mangiarotti, Bruno Morassutti and Aldo Favini, and signaled an epochal shift in Italy's religious building design and construction. Writer: Elly Parsons
Church Nostra Signora della Misericordia, Baranzate
Completed 2015
Completed almost a year ago by original designer Morassutti with the collaboration of Giulio Barazzetta of SBG Architetti, the use of a sheer glass shell creates a serene, peaceful interior at once connected to the church's surroundings, yet enclosed by an imposing concrete vaulted roof. Inside, innovative Italian ceramic company Casalgrande Padana has implemented its characteristic modern technologies, that see the original flooring design faithfully and impressively recreated
Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015
The Kericho diocese is set in the highlands of Kenya in a vividly green spot west of the Great Rift Valley, around 250km south west of the capital Nairobi. With commanding views of the surrounding valley, terraced village and distant hills, The London-based John McAslan + Partners was commitioned for a new, beautifully articulated cathedral for the Roman Catholic congregation. Writer: Daven Wu
Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015
One of the challenges ‘was to discover a truly authentic Kenyan language for the design which would root the building in its context and the great tradition of Roman Catholic ecclesiastical architecture', says the architects' Aidan Potter. This was solved by inserting an enormous ascending vaulted volume beneath the clay-tiled pitched roof
Kericho cathedral, Kenya by John McAslan + Partners
Completed 2015
Both literally and figuratively, an ineffable sense of light infuses the space. The soaring interiors are capped by a length of filtered skylight, while the nave is punched through with a vertical window. Both transepts open on both ends for natural cross ventilation
St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016
Just south of Beirut, in Lebanon’s rich Shouf Valley, St Elie church embraces the material heritage that surrounds it. Designed by Paris-based architect Maroun Lahoud, St. Elie’s is a modern take on the traditional Maronite churches found throughout Lebanon, and its white stone cladding provides a striking contrast to the area’s abundant greenery. Writer: Mary Pelletier
St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016
The church is filled with natural light by way of Lahoud’s minimal cruciform windows, carved directly into the church’s stone, and through the simplistic lined windows located above the altar and along the sides of the structure
St Elie, Lebanon by Maroun Lahoud
Completed 2016
Settled into the terraced landscape, this new place of Maronite worship centres around two square volumes that sit atop a sunken base
Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture
To be commissioned
A church with a modern twist, Carlo Enzo's latest proposal for a place of worship is a concrete monolith which features a 'sky chapel', elevated walkways and a shallow pool. Imagery courtesy of UOA. Writer: Sam Rogers
Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture
To be commissioned
The 7,400 sq m church will be flanked by two concrete towers; one housing church bells and another the 'sky chapel'. Full height glass windows intend to frame views of the outside world and connect the main worship space with its natural surroundings. Imagery courtesy of UOA
Holy Spirit Church, New Jersey, USA by Urban Office Architecture
To be commissioned
The building itself is a metaphor for man kind's relationship with the divine: the towers that reflect man's desire to 'turn his gaze to the Creator'; a sunken courtyard which symbolises death and praise of nature; and a space of prayer where a glass envelope is supported only by the structural strength of the cross of Christ. Imagery courtesy of UOA
Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015
Located in the Shanghai Museum of Glass' courtyard, the Rainbow Chapel is the first of its kind – a chapel in a museum. Courtesy of Coordination Asia. Writer: Sam Rogers
Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015
Purpose-built as a round wedding space by award winning design agency Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design, the 390 sq m space is enclosed by vivid glass panels; translucent yet bright in colour. Courtesy of Coordination Asia
Rainbow Chapel, China by Coordination Asia and Logon Urban Architecture Design
Completed 2015
The kaleidoscopic windows give the otherwise small space height, while the structures themselves – the circle of glass and structural square surrounding it – allude to Chinese symbolism: the circle represents fullness and unity; the square, honesty and virtue. Courtesy of Coordination Asia
Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014
As though suspended from the trees of the affluent Joá neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, the chapel’s rectangular glass structure emanates a mystical orange glow. Photography: Tuca Reinés. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally
Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014
Actually built on stilts, the vertical wooden louvered structure fitted over the glass lets in just enough sunlight, as well as a sliced view onto the luxuriant tropical surroundings, while keeping the interiors cool. Photography: Tuca Reinés
Residencial Capela Joá, Brazil by Bernardes Arquitetura
Completed 2014
The 43 sq m structure converges at the altar, its narrowest point, backed by a glass wall looking out onto the ocean, reinforcing the celestial ambiance. Photography: Tuca Reinés
Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014
This design is cutting-edge interpretation of the traditional Norwegian stave church. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally
Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014
The isolated structure’s clean angular lines culminate at the slender spire
Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014
The imposing structure reaches up to the grey skies, jutting out of the craggy landscape of Hordaland, close to Norway’s Fjord country
Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Completed 2014
Inside, the lofty interiors are accentuated by the lean flow of the horizontal timber panelling that drives the eye to the altar in one sweeping movement, where a round stained glass window provides the only break in the linear design
Knarvik Community Church, Norway by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Completed 2014
The church's sleek, spare interior is both pious in its refined minimalism and impressive in its expansive, futurist lines
Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014
The 200 sq m wood and steel chapel made of two interrelated triangles gives it a medieval crown shape that is reflected in the placid waters of Nanjing’s riverfront in east China. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally
Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014
Completed in 2014, the structure looks bulky, but actually upon closer inspection, its sides - which are built in a wooden lattice pattern resembling rectangular-shaped chainmail - are light and dainty
Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014
The interior shell is painted bright white, accentuating the light falling through the strip skylight for a heightened religious experience
Nanjing Wanjing Garden Chapel, China by AZL Architects
Completed in 2014
View of the interior lattice pattern, made all the more astounding by its all-white interiors
Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built
After much delay due to territorial disputes between Tibet and China, the go-ahead has finally been given for Krasojevic’s project. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally
Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built
Commissioned by the city of Ordos, which may sound like a place in Lord of the Rings, it is actually found on the outskirts of the Mongolian Ordos desert where monks retreat for meditation and ceremonial offerings
Ordos temple, Mongolia by Margot Krasojevic
To be built
The steel and aluminium spiral fossil-like design, which recalls the wave pattern imprinted on the surface of the desert’s shifting dunes, is dictated by Mongolian Buddhist rituals
The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built
Advancing on the water like an oversized zinc-clad alien rose bud, the compact chapel will stand on a discrete jetty stemming from the banks of the newly created city of Almere’s lake in the Netherlands. Writer: Rooksana Hossenally
The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built
Part of the architect’s ‘Devils and Angels’ series, it will be made using foam cut with a new CNC hot-wire cutter that facilitates the making of free forms with limited waste, while the interiors will be lined with plywood. The first project to be built using this technique will be the Fraeylemaborg pavilion
The Weerwater Chapel, Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten
To be built
From behind, the compact chapel seems to hover above the water