Alvaro Siza Vieira, a Portuguese architect, has recently completed a church in Brittany, France — the first church to be built in the town in this century. Considering its modern construction, the church has an appropriately contemporary design, eschewing the many of the traditional aspects of church design in favor of more modern volumes.
The material is one of the most noticeable aspects of the new church. Covered in stark white concrete, it is a bright spot that glows under the Portuguese sun. The shape of the building is no less striking, though. It is boxy, but it has a cut out portion on one face and a volumetric outcropping on another; these two features combine to give the building the appearance of a shape embedded into the concrete itself, like a sculpture lying latent in marble.
Image Credit: João Morgado
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Contemporary Church Designs
- Disruptive innovation opportunities can be found in creating church designs that break away from traditional aesthetics and embrace modern architectural elements.
- Innovative Use of White Concrete
- Exploring new ways to utilize white concrete in architectural designs can lead to disruptive innovations in construction and building materials.
- Sculptural Architectural Features
- Opportunities for disruptive innovation exist in incorporating sculptural elements into building designs, adding a unique and visually striking aspect to the architecture.
Where This Applies
- Architecture
- The architecture industry can explore disruptive innovations by challenging traditional church design concepts and embracing contemporary approaches.
- Construction
- The construction industry can benefit from disruptive innovations in utilizing white concrete in innovative ways, providing durable and aesthetically pleasing building solutions.
- Building Materials
- The building materials industry can explore disruptive innovations by developing new techniques and applications for white concrete, enabling unique and visually appealing construction options.
