Church of St. Benedict (Interior Design)
Ayala Westgrove Heights, Silang, Cavite
Completed 2010
Completed 2010
Listen to the light
Design Statement for the Church of St. Benedict
The concept of the
"Listen".
The central image is of a circle with a cross in it. The wood cross carries a life-size image of Christ. The cross extends below the circle to rest on its visual base, which is the tabernacle.
The diameter of the circle is six meters. It is the perimeter of a perfect concavity; the radius of the circle is the depth of the concavity. The intersection of the cross - the location of Christ’s ears - is at the center of the circle. The
auditory phenomenon that results – that the sound that reflects from
any point on a perfectly concave surface will head straight for the
geometric center of that surface – will symbolize the omniscient and
all-encompassing nature of Christ’s response to our prayers; he listens
to all of them.
The concavity of the circle will also result in an optical phenomenon – that the concave appears as convex. The circle will have the three-dimensional impact of a globe. This
will remind us of one of the most significant events in Benedict’s life
– his vision of the whole world gathered in a single ray of light.
The inner surface of the concavity will be lined with capiz mosaic, resulting in a quiet shimmer. This will be a subtle visual link to the mosaics that have decorated the apses of Christian churches since the earliest times. The use of a local material found only here in the Philippines, but in the context of an apsidal
mosaic reminiscent of the earliest Christian churches found in the
Mediterranean area, will symbolize both the universality and the
specificity of the Catholic Church in the Philippines
Concavity will also be an exploration of the nature of sanctity. Extending
left and right from the intersection of the cross and the circle, about
three meters from the church floor, is a line that connects to the
centers of two adjacent concavities. On
the left, acting as the visual termination of the left-side aisle, is a
two-meter-diameter concavity that will be centered on the head of a
life-size statue of Mary. On
the right, acting as the terminus of the right-side aisle, is a
one-meter-diameter concavity that will be centered on the head of a
life-size statue of Benedict.
These concavities will also be lined with shimmering capiz mosaic and will appear as the halos that predominate in Christian iconography. There is a flip side, however, to the glory of haloes, and that is the responsibility that comes with sanctity. Again,
using the auditory qualities of a concave surface, the halos act as
parabolic reflectors that will direct our supplications to the patient
ears of Mary and Benedict.
The over-all plan of the Church is based on the basilica prototype that originated with the roots of Christianity in the Mediterranean . Our
examination of Benedictine structures takes us not only to the
beginnings of Benedictine architecture at the Monastery of Monte Cassino, but to the roots of early Christian basilica architecture that guided Monte Cassino.
The term “Mediterranean ”,
therefore, becomes our guide not purely for stylistic reasons, but for
deeper historical reasons that will link each member of the congregation
to the beginnings of Christianity.
The surfaces of the interior will be treated so as to maximize the qualities of light and sound. We picture a highly articulated space that is all in white. We
will be guided by the fact that light and sound often act in similar
ways, and so the variations of stepped, rhythmic and concave surfaces
that we are currently exploring will be not only visually compelling,
but also acoustically rich.
Proposed view of Main Altar
Proposed view of Right Side Aisle
Proposed view of Main Door from Main Altar
Proposed view of Baptistery, adjacent to Main Door
Proposed view of Confessionals, adjacent to Main DoorConcept for the Indoor Statuary at the Church of St. Benedict
The statuary will be the apotheosis of the literal, as part of the oscillation between the literal and the abstract that animates the journey towards grace. A visitor travels through layers of architectural experience that alternate from literal, to abstract, to literal, and so on.
The street outside is literal, prosaic, and brings you to the garden, which can be considered abstract (as paradise can be considered abstract), which in turn brings you to the church facade, which is literal. The visitor walks through the door, and enters an abstract world, or at least that is what we aim for with the natural light traveling over the white plaster surfaces of the nave walls.
The nave is all abstract, but not yet the apotheosis of the abstract. The concavities are.
Between the nave and the concavities is the apotheosis of the literal: life-sized carved figures of Jesus, Mary and Benedict. They are to be painted in the traditional manner, without being maudlin, the only objects in the entire interior that will be painted. Sculpted with surpassing dexterity, their quality elevates them to the level of the abstract.
Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete
Mock-up of glass-fiber reinforced concrete column cladding at factory (2009 July 1)
Work on the glass-fiber reinforced concrete arches at the House of Precast factory (2009 July 1)
Glass-Fiber Reinforced Concrete, or GFRC, responds to the project's need for a low-maintenance material that addresses the abstract goals of the interior space, where natural light meets archetype and ritual. The material alludes to the Eucharistic, and the arches and ribs suggest the hierarchy of angels, listening to the light.
UPDATE: Photos from Thursday, March 11, 2010 site visit
