ajit verghese

Growing up in the shadows of the National Cathedral and spending my formative years within its halls I am always amazed at beautiful churches and places of worship that take a non-traditional view of design. I like them and think that these innovative approaches sometimes help think about one’s religious worship and spirituality  in a different way. Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain are two more places on the list.

lickypickystickyfree:

Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, a collaboration between young Belgian architects Pieterjan Gijs  and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh, have built a see-through church in the Belgian region of Haspengouw. The church is a part of the Z-OUT project of Z33, house for contemporary art based in Hasselt, Belgium.

The church is 10 meters high and is made of 100 layers and 2000 columns of steel. Depending on the perspective of the viewer, the church is either perceived as a massive building or seems to dissolve – partly or entirely – in the landscape. On the other hand, looking at the landscape from within the church, the surrounding countryside is redefined by abstract lines.

The design of the church is based on the architecture of the multitude of churches in the region, but through the use of horizontal plates, the concept of the traditional church is transformed into a transparent object of art.

(via jacquesofalltrades)