Historically, some of the most awe inspiring spaces have created in the name of religion, but in recent times, these spaces have become more utilitarian, with more Church buildings seemingly being converted for alternative uses. In fact it was only yesterday that I came across a scheme in the UK by the National Churches Trust to award “Young Church Architect of the Year” in a bid to encourage more creativity in this space.
That said, ‘uninspiring’ is certainly not an accusation that can be levelled at at the Paphos Chapel by Michalis Georgiou, with its intelligent usage of shapes, space and materials. The result is refreshing and modern, yet subtle at the same time.
Peter the Apostle and St. Helen the Martyr is contemporary, daring design, creatively reinterpreting Byzantine Church typology
Parametric computational and design techniques were deployed for the building’s shell and various interior details, as seen for example in the sculptural reinterpretation of the altar stone.
This design by Michalis Georgiou & Theresa Kwok takes into account the historic architecture of the region, whilst challenging the notion of Catholic Church design in Greek Orthodox tradition. While the strength of Christianity lies not in one building, rather in its body of peoples, there is no doubting the elevating participation of creative beauty in favour of a staid environment. In this – and much more – the Peter the Apostle & St. Helen the Martyr Chapel in Paphos is most certainly a success.
PARAMETRICDESIGN.net
