Holy Redeemer Church
This project is thought to be a space that encourages reflection, a meditation space, a resting place, mystic, a meeting point between different cultures.
Here people of any race, character or belief can go to find themselves in the temple, or join with other people in the cultural centre. The Holy Redeemer Church is dedicated to the Resurrection, one of the most important moments in the history of Christianity. When his followers began to lose their faith, the resurrection proved that the Word of Christ was true. The volumetric force and the rational play of light shape a church with deep theological roots, where the Resurrection comes to the fore and, in the form of light, shines on the believer. The basic idea of the project is a big piece of concrete that is broken in four volumes, being separated from one another. These cuts made to the original piece and the relative movement make each piece independent. The building appears austere in order to avoid unnecessary elements that distract the visitor from the spiritual essence.
Materials
Exploiting the properties of concrete and relying on their isotropic nature will optimize energy efficiency due to thermal inertia of the walls. Through an acoustic research, we found the perfect combination of concrete and lapilli.The rough surface has an acoustic absorption degree clearly better to conventional concrete. Exterior, interior, structure, form, material and texture are joined inextricably by a complex study of the concrete.
Light Behaviour
The way the light penetrates through the gaps of the concrete volumes through out each period of the day has a special meaning. As we enter, at the far end, we see the bare, illuminated cross. Christ has risen. Beyond, at dawn a cascade of light symbolizes the entrance to the cave where Jesus was buried. Light—life, purification, resurrection, joy and cleansing — illuminates each of the sacraments. In this sense, the first light of day, through the cross, lights the baptismal font, the first light of the Christian. At midday, the light shines through the roof on the altar, representing confirmation and the Eucharist. Soon after, a beam of light falls opposite the confessional, on the sacrament of penitence. The whole church with its design represents the transition from darkness to light, from death to life. The strategic arrangement of the roof lights achieves the same effect on holy unction, marriage and the Holy Orders.
Acoustic Behaviour
The lapilli, a widely material used in the Canary Islands is a volcanic material, highly porous, which provides a degree of acoustic absorption significantly higher at medium and high frequencies. This technique can be used as sound-absorbing element in highly reverberant spaces, while respecting the materiality of space, it is not necessary to use common porous materials that introduce a distortion in the architectural design of the building. The treatment of the walls of the Holy Redeemer Church with this type of concrete can significantly improve speech intelligibility. Volumetric impact of the building and use of essential materials, concrete as a liquid stone and waterfalls of light, besides the possibility of phased construction for the four modules, let the temple optimize economic resources. Creating a timeless and emotion space.
