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Architects: LR-Architetti
- Area: 1145 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Marco Introini
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Manufacturers: Terreal
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Lead Architects: Sara Lonardi, Enrico Maria Raschi
Text description provided by the architects. Church of the Holy Spirit in Pegognaga, near Mantua. The new Church of the Holy Spirit in Pegognaga, near Mantua, is the result of restricted competition. It replaces the previous parish church, damaged by the 2012 earthquake. The project ensures a proper scale and orientation in the historic small city.
The new building occupies the lot through a wall from which the gabled volume of the hall emerges. The parish hall is a free central space. Dense, slender terracotta-colored concrete pillars and full-height windows run on the perimeter. Two rows of suspended tubular light fixtures mark the inner space.
The main facade extends on one side into a low building with a flat roof. This basement volume encloses the parish hall and other rooms for parish activities. It is clad in brick in varying tones from red to cocciopesto. Concrete acoustic panels with vertical grooves line the basement level inside.
A "carpet" of pinkish Lessinia stone, rough on the front court and polished in the interior, unifies the exterior pavement and the hall floor. The same marble characterized the liturgical furniture. The new design of the table and tabernacle integrates spoils from the old parish church.
On the back of the chancel stands the mosaic "Earth" as a symbol of "rebirth-resurrection." It is set back from the upper pillars and lit by a hidden skylight. The used materials are brick fragments from the demolished church and gold tiles. They are assembled on a sloping wall using the opus scutulatum technique. Ground excavations uncovered a complex stratigraphy of ancient worship structures. Three portions are visible through slots cut into the floor. They will be opened on special occasions, showing the direct dialogue between the present and past.
