Church

Cornerstone Auditorium is a conversion from an existing nightclub in a mall into an auditorium used mainly for Christian services. We translated the idea of “Ruach” – the breath of life – into a sculptural interior defined by fluid lines and luminous, expansive volumes. With its users being Pentecostal church members, the design takes inspiration from traditional church vaults and aims to symbolise sacred space where heaven and earth meet.  Shiya Creative Studio Shiya Creative Studio Materially, the design balances light and dark: a luminous white acoustic ceiling contrasts with timber wall panels and a dark carpeted floor, focusing attention on the stage while maintaining warmth. The ceiling, formed... More

Cenotaph – is a project by kera, a Tbilisi-based architectural practice, executed in 2 phases – 1st as a temporary installation presented at the Tbilisi Architectural Biennial 2024 and 2nd as a permanent structure serving as a belltower for a 10th century church in the village of Soli, Lenjeri community, Svaneti, Georgia. Ana Gabashvili kera kera Cenotaph—derived from the Greek kenotaphion, meaning “empty tomb”—refers to a monument that honors someone buried elsewhere. As the main theme of the biennial was abandoned rivers of Tbilisi, the installation was situated on a creek, just before the point of its burial into an underwater tunnel. The project was an attempt to guide observers to not... More

This renovation for a church in Hong Kong uses a predominantly light and natural material palette. Timber louvers along the entrance of the church hall provides a sense of porosity to the space. Wooden pews on either side of the aisle form a strong perspective toward the altar and cross, echoed by custom pendant lights suspended from the ceiling.   Leon Xu Liang Leon Xu Liang Leon Xu Liang Leon Xu Liang New Office Works New Office Works New Office Works New Office Works More

Emerging quietly from the suburban hills of Los Angeles, Afterlight embodies the gentle strength of renewal — a sanctuary where light and landscape come together to heal, nurture, and reconnect community and faith. Conceived as a rebirth through light and landscape, the project reimagines the local chapel as a place of shared belonging, rising humbly from the ashes to restore hope and continuity. Caption Rooted in the vernacular of Southern California chapels, the design draws from familiar forms and honest materials — simple gables, stone bases, and soft rooflines that merge naturally with the landscape. Three distinct volumes step down the sloping site, each connected by serene garden cloisters that form a contemplative... More

Recently, churches have been performing a role not only as puritanical churches but also as local community facilities. If a church that performs such an intermediate role overwhelms the surroundings with its ornate appearance, it would be absolutely not possible to avoid friction with the surroundings. We thought that urban churches would need to look simple in order to be considerate of neighbors and such formative simplicity in the busy downtown landscape could rather bring stronger symbolism. Caption Caption Through an appropriate openings plan in a simple-form building that allows openings where they should be opened and eliminates openings where they should be closed, we allowed the church windows to be functionally operati... More

Continental Baptist Church has been meeting at a local school for many years, with the desire to find property and build their own church building. When a property was finally purchased off a major road in Marana, Arizona, they contacted our office to see if we could help their small congregation with this process. Even during Covid lockdown, we were able to work with their leadership and design an efficient plan that captured their programatic needs. Caption The first round of contractor bidding showed that the plan the church wanted was now out of reach due to supply chain issues and material cost increases. So, the plans were redone, with a future expansion for classrooms for a future phase. With the help of the selected contractor... More

In the 1970’s, a new highway was planned to encircle the metro Tucson area along the Pantano Wash. Christ Community Church purchased property along this new route, and had a new campus designed to encircle a tall prayer tower. Like many master plans, things didn’t pan out as planned. The highway was not built, and the prayer tower was never completed. Caption Through the years the church grew in size and in the campus buildings, but growth deviated from the original plan and took on a disorganized fashion, which the current congregation has to deal with on a daily basis. SDG was asked to help re-think the campus; what are the possibilities to redo parts of the campus while both preserving newer buildings, creating a sense... More

This chapel, located within the cemetery of Mazzarino, is conceived as a place where everything is designed to evoke introspection and peace. The architectural layout follows the existing site footprint, with interior space defined by the subtraction of volumes—a direct result of a construction system that allows for no alternatives. Caption The openings adhere strictly to the geometry of the voids, serving to bring natural light, fresh air, or access into the building. The main entrance, crafted from perforated metal, leads directly to the center of the chapel, where visitors are welcomed into an extremely clean and minimal space. Here, the geometry is defined by the lines of the tombstones and the coffered ceiling. Caption... More

The "Light of Life" Chapel can be found at the end of the SeolGok Road on the south side of the Bori mountain, in Gapyong at 30 km from Seoul, South Korea. This building is built in the middle of a village project for retired missionaries initiated by the Protestant and Presbyterian community Nam Seoul Grace Church. Thus, beyond the reception of Sunday services, it’s a place of contemplation and prayer open every day of the week. In addition, the center can host a hundred people in religious retreat with the availability of rooms and the offer of meals in a restaurant and cafe. The project began in 2008 with the donation to the church Pastor Hong Jung-Gil of a large quantity of Siberian red cedar wood by an entrepreneur working betw... More

Although I have never been particularly religious, I have always dreamed of designing a religious center someday—preferably, a Christian church. Not only is it the religion closest to my culture and the faith of many of my family members, but it is also the building typology for which I have amassed the most references over years of studying architectural history and visiting dozens of churches of all kinds. Juanan Barros Juanan Barros Juanan Barros Juanan Barros However, my passion for cathedrals lies in the thrill of designing a space whose sole purpose is to evoke emotions. I have always felt it would be a true gift for an artist to be commissioned to create something with no other objective than that: to be ar... More

This project was dedicated to the historic reconstruction of an essential part of the Sázava monastery complex. It included a total restoration of the rectory building, of the Baroque church of St. Prokop with a crypt, the torso of a Gothic three-nave with a tower and the arrangement of the surrounding terrain. Tomáš Slavík The architectural modifications were led by an effort to make the church more accessible to both believers and those interested in the history and historical values of the church. These are both the main and side naves, and especially the crypt, and last but not least, the southern and northern emporiums. Tomáš Slavík Tomáš Slavík The... More

Integrate the concept “There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in” into the architectural design of the church by emphasizing the true nature of imperfections and their role in shaping the space. Use materials that reveal their natural textures and aging processes, such as raw concrete or weathered wood, to reflect the passage of time and the beauty of subtle change. Openbox Architects Openbox Architects Openbox Architects Design elements should highlight the unique, intricate details that emerge from these materials, creating a dialogue between the unexpected and the intentional. The architecture should foster mindfulness and spiritual reflection, encouraging visitors to explore deeper meaning... More

Over time, the sacred space is architecturally characterized through the development and definition of archetypal elements such as the apse, the dome, the verticality, the light, the churchyard, the bell tower, the nave, just to name the most immediate and recognizable. Each of these elements plays a mathematically exact role within the "sacred enclosure" that aggregates them, as well as in the consequent historically determined "church form". NextBuild The project, therefore, explores the conceptual DECOMPOSITION and RECOMPOSITION, reabsorbing these elements "inside" the thickness of a continuous wall mass, which "unfolds" embracing the interior and exterior. NextBuild NextBuild The new church will therefore be defined thr... More