Church Architecture: Dominance Of Function Over Expression

MINNU ELIZEBETH RAJAN A9017

INTRODUCTIONCHURCH ARCHITECTURE has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions.

From the birth of Christianity to the present, the Byzantine churches, the Romanesque abbey churches, Gothic cathedrals and Renaissance basilicas, with its emphasis on harmony has been the most significant objects of transformation for Christian architecture and design. These large, often ornate and architecturally prestigious buildings often stood out as landmarks or distinguishing feature of the region.

The traditions steeped within each tradition have dictated the church architecture for centuries.

But unlike traditional churches, contemporary church designs often emphasise on the essential components contributing to the overall architectural experience such as space, lines, light and sound through thoughtful design and less emphasis on the traditional icons and symbolism. Breakthrough in the contemporary church design can be seen or experienced in the form of usage of new materials

Modern church architecture is noted for its economy in material and means, and for its own inherent aesthetic value. Precision and calculation have be come new tools of the designer. Lighter materials such as aluminium, glue-laminated wood, stressed skin and sandwich panels, lightweight con crete, and plastics are being used. Instead of architec ture of mass, architecture of volume is given importance. A style liberated from matter is gaining importance.

The dissertation focuses on…… evolution and design principles, materials etc adopted in

traditional churches

various phases of transition experienced in the field of church architecture

contemporary church design, evolution and philosophies associated with the conceptual design of contemporary churches.

advent of new materials and technology and its influence in

the design of churches

Upcoming trends and ideologies in church design

Relevance & scope…. Evolution of church architecture can be traced back to a period two thousand

years ago, and had been a result of various religious and cultural parameters. Designs were often an outcome of previously followed patterns and opportunities for an architect to experiment with the design patterns were hardly existent.

But gradually over time, this trend has changed, and today we find contemporary churches which are absolute contrast to the earlier followed design principles, wherein the architect experiences complete freedom to explore his creativity, and function is given more importance with respect to expression of religion or culture unlike before.

This has become a subject of debate among the Christian community and theologians, which continues even today. This study aims at throwing light on what has led to the evolution of such a trend and accordingly influence the future church architecture.

Limitations… In our part of the world, we still come across church designs that are a result

various religious, cultural and regional interests. The absence of contemporary church designs, which are a direct reflection of an architects creativity or purely functional aspects, in our state or country makes it difficult to obtain a deeper understanding on the evolution of such trends based on live experience.

CONCLUSION

INFERENCES

ANALYSIS

CASE STUDIES

DATA COLLECTION

DATA COLLECTION

Understanding Concept Of Space In Christianity

Evolution Of Various Forms Of Church Architecture

Understanding Movements That Led To The Change In Architectural Style Of Churches

Contemporary Church Architecture principles, materials, technical advancements

Upcoming Trends And Concepts In Church Design

Data Collection….Concept Of ‘Space’ In Christianity

Religious spaces are considered to be dynamic in nature. This dynamic character can be considered as a result of multiple functions

and various users, embedded layers of religious, social, and cultural meaning resulting in its tendency to change dramatically over time creating challenges for the design of a space for the same.

Religious space is often equated to a powerful space. Power, can be found in three different categories: Divine or supernatural power, or that attributed to God; Social power, or that pertaining to a variety of social, particularly clerical,

hierarchies Personal power or the various feelings of spiritual empowerment that

individuals derive from an experience of the divine.

Symbolism….Ark, Etimasia, and the Body of Christ: The Church is believed to be the new Ark of salvation from the deluge

of evil. Etimasia, which in Greek means preparation in expectation of the

Second Coming. During the entire period of waiting, the church takes the place of the presence-absence of Christ, and, in this sense, is the Body of Christ.

Orientation The Christian church is oriented along two coordinates indicating

survival and spirituality: the longitudinal axis, called the solar axis, is oriented toward the rising sun, toward the East, while the vertical axis, (axis of the world), connects the temple to the North Star.

Geometry The plan of the building are often circle square or cruciform.The circle

stands for Heaven, the sacred, the spiritual world. The square, on the other hand, represents the cosmos, material things, and the terrestrial condition. Cruciform reminds the significance of holly cross and at the same time reflects the victory of good over evil

Evolution of church architecture….

• The earliest and simplest church buildings comprised a single meeting space, built of locally available material using the same skills of construction as the local domestic buildings

TEMPORARYSINGLE MEETING SPACE(HOUSE CHURCH OR TITULI

• Church buildings started being permanent in nature and aesthetically pleasing. The churches were often built of the most durable material available. Churches were also extended beyond a single meeting room to two main spaces, one for the congregation and one in which the priest performs the rituals of the Mass.

4TH CENTURY- CONCEPT OF PERMANENCE

• This form was inspired from the Roman basilica that combined a longitudinal axis with a vertical axis to symbolize the long path of life and the moment of salvation, at the crossing of the axes, in which God is revealed.

BASILICA

• The fall of Rome and the rise of Christianity led to the replacement of the man-made order of Rome with an architecture that de-emphasized its weight, substance and material presence. Civic order was integrated with Christian values. walled entity with the church as its core

MONASTERY(ROMANESQUE)

• The notion of God as a continuous presence found architectural expression in an increased emphasis on verticality in the nave of the church. Clerestory windows and vaulted ceilings intensified the connection to the sky

GOTHIC

• Interior and exterior space was clearly defined and design of these areas was carved out with an emphasis on mathematic geometry, a symbol of man’s reason expressing God’s order.

RENAISSANCE

• Baroque style can be recognized by broader interior spaces more playful attention to light and shadow, extensive ornamentation, large frescoes, focus on interior art, and frequently, a dramatic central exterior projection. 

BAROQUE

• The idea that worship was a corporate activity and that the congregation should be in no way excluded from sight. Simple one-room plans were almost of the essence of modernity in architecture.

MODERNISM

• Architects rediscovered the expressive and symbolic value of architectural elements—maintaining meaning in literature, poetry and art—but which had been abandoned by the modern movement.

POST MODERNISM

SHAKER MEETING HOUSE DURA EUROPUS-HOUSE CHURCH

BASILICA HAGIA SOPHIA

UNITY TEMPLE-F L WRIGHT RONCHAMP RENAISSANCE-CENTRAL PLANNING

GOTHIC INTERIORS

Second Vatican Council…. The document on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, laid emphasis on

noble beauty and simplicity in reference to liturgical art and architecture. Hence, noble beauty in fact became the goal of new church architecture, according to the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

Wreckovation  Wreckovation was a portmanteau term coined by some Catholics to describe the

controversial style of renovations which historic Catholic cathedrals, churches, and oratories had undergone since the Second Vatican Council

There was also a school of thought that a more "sophisticated" "modern" worshiper would not need religious imagery to worship effectively. In fact, some reformists saw statues and representative religious art as distractions from participation in the liturgy.

Contemporary Church Architecture…… Modernist or contemporary church buildings are often not “functional” in the sense

that their external appearance makes their function predictable or in terms of the practical requirements of the liturgy. Today we find the requirements of the congregation or the overall spiritual ambience often govern the design of churches

Recently, we can find that architects have been designing churches with primary elements such as space, lines, light and sound in mind, which is believed to be the essential components for the experience of spiritual or religious architecture. They have come under criticism by the Vatican for diverting from the traditional form and iconography of churches.

Material advancements.. Modern church architecture spoke of honesty

in materials and techniques. Modern architects did not believe in imitation or pretending that some materials were something else, for eg treating wood so that it looks like stone or covering up rcc as it does not look attractive. Adoption of rcc was accepted by people as rcc was attractive for many reasons as it was generally available, flexible, strong, durable etc. Integrity also meant structural reality to be made visible, so that it was not necessary to hide structural supports.

Future design..sustainability… Many churches today adopts sustainable

design by viewing the building holistically and observing how it interacts with the environment. Additional deliberation often include conserving water, incorporating geothermal heating or waste water that reuses water through re-filtering systems, or how to select materials outside and inside the building. Measure adopted by churches nowadays also include renovations techniques allowing for building changes to be reversed if necessary in the future etc.

CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDIES

Literature

Ronchamp Foligno Church Jubilee church Salvacao

Church

Live

Parumala Church

Edapally Church

Church Of Saint Paul The Apostle, Foligno

Location: Foligno, Italy Architect: Massimiliano Fuksas, Doriana Fuksas

Plans, elevations and sections

Foligno church portrays a clear departure from the conventional techniques of space hierarchy, planning aspects as well as usage of imagery or iconography

Square shape opted for planning rather than the conventionally opted cruciform planning

In Foligno church, the geometry and natural lighting is used to create a spiritual connection with the sky. The volumes are pure with occasional gaps through which light enters imparting drama to the work

  The design of the interior and the lighting evokes the idea

of purity. The sober shape of the oak evokes a sense of serenity.

The effect created during the day by the natural light is recreated at night by hanging lights whose angular shape retraces the profile of the openings carved on both volumes. 

Penetration of light through irregular volumes evokes a sense of curiosity and mystery among the congregation

  Hence the interplay of volumes and light are used to

create a sense of numinous or spirituality rather than relying on the conventional techniques of ornamentation or décor.

Jubilee Church, Tor Tre Teste

Location: Tor Tre Teste, Rome Architect: Richard Meier

Jubilee church is characterized for it different take on church architecture by use of geometry, combining basic shapes the clarity of their spaces, the handling of light and the use of white as a symbol of purity.

The major elements include most importantly the three enormous shells which at the same time imparts a feeling of light as well as heavy; feeling of lightness is given by the small thickness of the shells suggesting the waves movement - and, at the same time, heaviness is conveyed using the absence of openings on large white concrete surfaces.

  The three curved walls resembling a ship's sails,

symbolizes "the ship in which the people of God sails." Three circles referring to the holy trinity, of equal radius are layered, and together with the opposite wall together form the body of the ship.

The church has large glass surfaces that guarantee a generous flow of natural light, located both at the top and at the main and back facades. The interior of the church is as impressive as its exterior giving different types of light from the glazing surfaces above and the facade of the building, as well of the light that plays with the convex surfaces of the sails.

Similar to the previous example, in this case too we can find the usage of imposing geometry and indirect lighting techniques have been embraced to convey symbolism as well as spirituality.

Plan, elevation and section

Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp, France

Location: Ronchamp, France Architect: Le Corbusier

Plan and elevation

Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp is one of the finest examples of the twentieth-century religious architecture by Le Corbusier.

  Departure from the ornamental past and embracing spatial

purity by providing meditative and reflective spaces were Corbusier’s main focus rather than the conventional planning techniques as elaborated in the design.

Unlike Corbusier’s boxy, functional designs, usage of curved walls and roofing makes it a remarkable piece of Corbusier’s work.

  Walls do not solely act as structural and sculptural elements;

they also act as acoustic amplifiers, especially in the case of the eastern exterior wall

In the interior, the spaces left between the walls and roof filled with clerestory windows, as well as the asymmetric light from the wall openings, serve to further reinforce the sacred nature of the space and reinforce the relationship of the building with its surroundings

Hence the feeling of divinity or numinous is brought about through the play of light rather than ornamentation or décor following the principles of modern church design.

Lush greenery surrounding the chapel and its unique location adds to the overall meditative ambience of the chapel

St. Peter's And St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Parumala

Location: Parumala, Pathanamthitta Architect: Charles Correa

Plan and elevation

The form of the church has been derived by Charles Correa from tri-partite structure of Coptic  and Syrian domed churches resulting in its circular design with an inner diameter of 39 meters further divided into three segments in which the Eastern segment consists of the 3 altars and the vestry, the Western segment consists of the Veranda and the Natakasala (Porch), whereas the nave and congregation space forms the middle segment.

While the concept of the new Parumala church has adopted principles from traditional Coptic and Kerala churches, the *sense of proportion in the design makes it unique. Disjointed interior spaces as well as acoustical problems are issues that have been pointed out in the design of Parumala church.

The roof of the Haikla is a concrete triple barrier vault with a height of 18 meters from the floor in the center. The 6 meter high simple massive cross over the vault of the madhuba commands an asserting view against the background of the bright blue sky. Four roof sky lights have also been constructed in the Eastern and Western walls of the new church

  Elements of traditional Orthodox churches such as generally followed cruciform plan,

iconostasis, general imagery etc are absent or minimal. Instead features such as circular plans, large volumes and minimal iconography have been adopted, thus challenging the traditional Orthodox Church design.

Salvacao Church, Mumbai

Location: Dadar, Mumbai Architect: Charles Correa

Plan & Views

Charles Correa, in the design of Salvacao church emphasised on deviating from the traditional church planning techniques, resulting in a series of interlocking courtyards and covered spaces. He provided the Catholic Church with a strong ritualistic sense.

The courtyard and covered space pattern allowed any activity to take place in the open, or under cover - depending on the weather. All the various areas, both covered and open, are interconnected horizontally, so that the space - and the breeze flow unobstructed across the site.

The covered spaces are protected by concrete shells, in the shape of truncated pyramids giving the church the appearance of a temple complex with gopurams and shikharas rising heavenwards. The shells also act as giant flues where the hot air rises and exits through a vent at the top, thus drawing in fresh air from the courtyards around.

  The shells also serve as an element evoking strong religious or spiritual quality, with the

help of their Gothic proportions, and the fact that each shell at its apex has a sky light. The gloomy light from these skylights gives the church an extremely dramatic and mysterious appearance

Thus the design of this church is a shift from the cruciform plan, the spires, the cross and other traditional identity markers

This building also displays an understanding of the climate - by the use of the courtyards, as well as of Indian society as a whole. Charles Correa has emphasised on the use of the large external forms and drama, evoking a sense of myth and primordial in the observer. In the same way, the symbols of the church have conceptually been retained

St. George Forane Church, Edappally, Kochi

Location: Edapally, Kochi Architects: Zeril S Jose, Koshy K Alex

Plan, elevation & views

Architects Koshy K Alex and Zeril S Jose have designed the church based on traditional Kerala as well as Portuguese styles, conceived as an octagon, with three levels and features such as arched windows and buttresses, intricate Corinthian columns and mandalams.

Unlike the previous case studies, Edapally church has laid complete emphasis on extensive ornamentation, imagery and iconography.

  Visual imagery has been conveyed through explicit use of gold, silver, wood etc .  While the previous designs have brought about the image of sacredness or numinous

through the usage of large volumes and heights, Edapally church aims to achieve the same through the use of excess imagery and décor inspired from churches such as Sistine Chapel.

  The use of elements such as A 19-feet cross installed at the top of the main dome of the

church, 22 feet altar with approximately 10,000 cubic feet of teak wood, statues and other decor of the church adorned with gold and silver foil though has helped in instilling a sense of awe and majesty among its visitors, also acts as distractions or leads to the shift in focus from the holy service.

  It has also given rise to criticisms for its unnecessary luxurious design and for highly

deviating away from the simplicity and minimalistic design strategy adopted by present churches

  Hence Edapally church can be considered as fine example for a contemporary church where

the past traditions were embraced and expression has dominated function unlike the general trends followed today.

Analysis & Inference….Departure From Conventional Symbolism

Traditional Orthodox Churches Vs. Parumala Church

Adoption of circular plan rather than the conventionally opted cruciform or rectangular plan symbolising ark of salvation.

While the succession of narthex to sanctuary is maintained; absence of iconostasis or imagery can be observed

Modified version of the traditional cupola can be seen

Traditional Roman Catholic Churches Vs. Ronchamp, Foligno Church, Jubilee Church, Salvacao And Edapally Church

Adoption of oblong, square shapes and courtyards rather than the conventionally opted Latin or Greek cruciform planning technique. 

While the succession of narthex to sanctuary is maintained following the lines of traditional roman catholic churches in Edapally church; such a hierarchy is not evident in cases such as the Ronchamp, Foligno Church, Jubilee church or Salvacao church; these churches follow intervening of spaces or absence of elements such as the narthex etc

Absence of iconography or imagery can be observed; at the same time incorporation of elements such as stained glass and natural light flow to evoke a sense of mystery or numinous

Conclusion… The evolution of various church architecture styles could be considered as a

result of a constant search for a form that could convey a sense of a powerful space; in terms of divine power as well as spiritual power.

The philosophies or concepts adopted for the same have changed along time with the advent of new materials and technology as well as change in the perception of people towards church architecture. The various case studies too prove the fact that church architecture have departed from the conventional planning techniques of cruciform planning as well as decor and ornamentation.

The sense of spirituality, majesty, numinous etc in contemporary churches are being imparted by relying on experimentation with natural lighting, spatial as configurations etc. Architects such as Le Corbusier, FL wright, Charles Correa etc have interpreted church architecture in their own terms and convictions that have eventually helped in contributing towards new definition or perspective for church architecture or elements arousing spirituality among people.

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