Tag: religious-buildings | ArchDaily

The Built Path: Pilgrimage and Architectural Sequence on the Camino de Santiago

Olivia Poston — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Pilgrimage is one of the oldest and most persistent cultural practices, a spatial expression of humanity's search for meaning that has taken form across geographies and religions. While traditionally tied to formal belief systems, its definition has expanded in recent decades, reflecting new understandings of what is sacred and where meaning can be found. This shift reveals something fundamental: the act of moving through space remains central to how people construct meaningful experience. Yet most built environments constructed today are designed to be approached at speed from roads, transit corridors, airports, and optimized urban cores. The Camino de Santiago stands as a sustained counterargument to this condition. It is a piece of distributed architecture, refined over centuries, that remains a sophisticated example of design organized around the moving human body.

MVRDV Receives Approval for Plum Village Buddhist Monastery Renovations in France

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The Plum Village Buddhist Monastery in southern Dordogne, France, has received construction approval for the first phase of its ongoing collaboration with Dutch architecture studio MVRDV. The approvals cover the Upper Hamlet masterplan phase, including the construction of new guest houses and the renovation and expansion of the monastery's bookshop, as well as a new nunnery building at the Lower Hamlet. Developed in collaboration with co-architect MoonWalkLocal and consultants OTEIS, VPEAS, and Emacoustic, the wider project includes two masterplans for the Monastery's Upper and Lower Hamlets, four communal guest houses, a new nunnery, and the transformation of an existing bookshop. Working on a non-profit basis, the design team prioritises renovation alongside the use of circular and bio-based materials, aligning the architectural approach with the monastery's philosophical principles. The proposed additions aim to better accommodate the annual visitors who travel to Plum Village to engage with the teachings of Engaged Buddhism.

Architectural Rebuilding as Cultural Memory: The Paradox of Ever-Fresh Heritage

Jonathan Yeung — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Architecture—one of the few cultural artifacts made to be publicly lived with, preserved, and often capable of standing for centuries—contributes significantly to the cultural identity of places and people. Historically, buildings have expressed institutional attitudes, influence, and power; they are clear demonstrations of culture. Yet longevity complicates preservation: when a structure is rebuilt, repaired, or entirely reassembled, in what sense is it still the same building?

Monasteries in Transformation: 8 Projects that Redefine Architecture and Devotion

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Monasticism emerged from a deep impulse to withdraw—a radical pursuit of spirituality and transcendence. The word itself comes from the Greek μόνος (mónos), meaning “alone,” reflecting the ideal of the holy hermit who retreats from the world to dedicate life entirely to the divine. By the late 3rd century, in Egypt and Palestine, the first Christian monks began to follow this path, creating ways of life that would later give rise to a distinct architecture centered on seclusion.

A Modernist Church Set in Stone: The Story Behind the Temppeliaukio Kirkko in Helsinki, Finland

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Near the center of Helsinki, Finland, in the Töölö neighborhood, one can find the Temppeliaukio Church, an unusual-looking Lutheran church nestled between granite rocks. Approaching the square from Fredrikinkatu street, the church appears subtly, a flat dome barely rising above its surrounding landscape. An unassuming entrance, flanked by concrete walls, leads visitors through a dark hallway, and into the light-filled sanctuary carved directly into the bedrock. The exposed rock walls earned it the alternative name “The Church of the Rock.” To contrast the heaviness of the materials, skylights surrounding the dome create a play of light and shadows and a feeling of airiness.

Inside the Construction of Niemeyer’s Cristo Rei Cathedral in Belo Horizonte, Seen Through Paul Clemence’s Lens

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The Cristo Rei Cathedral is Oscar Niemeyer's design for the cathedral of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Conceived between 2005 and 2006, it is one of the late architect's final projects in the country. The design features a domed structure approximately 60 meters in diameter, suspended by two towering elements rising 100 meters high. Niemeyer referred to the project as a "square," consisting of a cathedral with a capacity for 3,000 people and an external altar designed to accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers for mass and public events. Construction began in 2013 and is still ongoing. Earlier this year, photographer Paul Clemence visited the site, documenting the building process and capturing the emergence of Niemeyer's signature curves.

Architecture and Spirituality: 12 Churches and Chapels in Latin America

Camilla Ghisleni — Thu, 01 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Latin America is home to the largest Catholic population in the world—more than 25% of all Catholics globally live on this continent. Here, faith has shaped not only spiritual life but also cities' cultural, social, and urban fabric. Since the first temples, built during European colonization, the architecture of Catholic churches in the region has undergone profound transformations. The once-imposing features of colonial Baroque and richly ornamented façades have gradually given way to bolder, more contemporary expressions that reflect local realities, a search for identity, and a spirit of architectural experimentation.

MVRDV and Zecc Architecten to Transform Vacant Church into Public Swimming Pool in Heerlen, the Netherlands

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:30:00 +0000

MVRDV and Zecc Architecten have won the competition to transform the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen into a public swimming pool. Originally built over 100 years ago, the church stopped hosting services in 2023, presenting the municipality with the opportunity to repurpose the building for community use. Nicknamed Holy Water, the adaptive reuse project is meant to give this listed national monument, with its recognizable silhouette, a new social function while preserving its historic elements. The design was created through a collaboration between MVRDV, Zecc Architecten, IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs, Nelissen Ingenieursbureau, and construction economics consultancy SkaaL, and is expected to be completed at the end of 2027.

Secluded Sanctuaries: Contemporary Religious Architecture Inspired by Modernist Principles Across Asia

Moises Carrasco — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Religious architecture in Asia is evolving by incorporating modernist influences while preserving its spiritual essence. Clean lines, minimalist aesthetics, and materials like concrete, steel, and glass are a common sight. These interventions often replace or complement the intricate ornamentation and natural materials traditionally associated with sacred spaces in the region. This approach allows these structures to achieve a universal appeal while still reflecting their cultural and spiritual foundations.

Interfaith Spaces: Architectural Responses to Religious Diversity

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In an increasingly diverse world, the emergence of multi-faith spaces represents a significant shift in architectural design, reflecting the evolving religious landscape of contemporary society. These spaces, which began to be formally established in the 1950s in public buildings like airports and hospitals, serve as microcosms of social transformation and peaceful coexistence. They allow various traditions to harmoniously share environments, embodying principles of inclusivity, flexibility, and adaptability.

A New Lens on Architecture: Discovering Open House Narratives Across Europe

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Throughout 2024, ArchDaily, in collaboration with the Open House Europe architecture event, brought inspiring projects and stories to light. These true architectural gems were unveiled through visits, and their widely shared narratives enriched the architectural discourse. It is an invitation to explore the stories behind buildings that, although part of citizens' daily lives, often go unnoticed amidst the routine automation of everyday life.

Kéré Architecture Unveils Design for a Spiritual and Community Center in Notsé, Togo

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Kéré Architecture has revealed the design of a masterplan and series of buildings dedicated to the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Ewé people in the town of Notsé, in Togo. Commissioned by the Kothor Foundation, the center incorporates a sanctuary, several temples, a large-scale open-air amphitheater, as well as cultural functions such as exhibition halls, an auditorium, restaurants, and a reconstruction of the ancient royal palace of the Ewé Kingdom. The project, Francis Kéré's first in Togo, started construction in October 2024 and is scheduled for completion in February 2026.

Between the Sacred and the Profane: The Story Behind the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lisbon

Camilla Ghisleni — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:30:00 +0000

As a landmark of contemporary religious architecture in Portugal, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands in contrast to traditional models, representing a work free from historicist stigmas. Resulting from a design competition organized in 1960, the church is notable for its civic dimension, urban role, and its anti-monumental and social significance. Integrated into the regular grid of the Avenidas Novas neighborhood, this example of the Movement for the Renewal of Sacred Art is part of a larger parish complex that often goes unnoticed by passersby. Its external street creates an unexpected public space, inviting people to enter and engage in a courtyard where architecture and the city merge. Finely crafted in terms of spatiality, detail, and light, the church holds many surprises for those who venture inside.

Spiritual Journeys: Religious Architecture in the Global South

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Religious architecture has always had a unique power to transcend the physical realm, transporting visitors to a spiritual journey. In many belief systems, it serves as a space between the earthly and the universal divine. This designed experience can often be facilitated through different choices, where light, form, materiality, and circulation play essential roles. Furthermore, architecture and design hold the power to have a profound impact on one’s lived spiritual experience.

Studio Libeskind Reveals Design for the Memorial at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Studio Libeskind, working in close partnership with the Memorialization Working Group, has unveiled the preliminary design for the memorial for the 11 killed on 27 October 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, United States. The design was developed in a process led by the victims’ families, communal leaders, and concretional representatives. The building’s official groundbreaking is expected in 2024.

Veszprém Architecture City Guide: Discover the Rich Heritage of One of Hungary's Oldest Cities

Hana Abdel — Thu, 18 May 2023 06:45:00 +0000

Though lesser known, the Hungarian city of Veszprém is one of the oldest and most important cities in the country. Designated as the European Union Capital of Culture for 2023, Veszprém boasts a longstanding history, visible through its evolving, yet well-preserved architectural monuments. In fact, one of the first notable observations as one walks through the city streets is its eclecticism and layers of historically diverse buildings, that sporadically arise. Despite the difference in styles and architectural languages, they collectively tell the story of the county and its spiritual and political relevance. Its pedestrian-friendly streets, many parks and public spaces, connect the Veszprém monuments, as one delves into a historic promenade.

SOM Breaks Ground on New American Buddhist Cultural Society Temple in San Francisco

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the new American Buddhist Cultural Society Temple, also known as the San Bao Temple, has broken ground in San Francisco, California. Located on Van Ness Avenue, the new six-story facility will include a community center, a Buddhist shrine, and a meditation room on the upper levels, along with three levels of private dormitories for visiting monastics and volunteers. In the center of the building, a light-filled atrium offers additional amenities, such as a public art gallery, bookstore, teahouse, and community gathering hall. The temple is expected to open by the end of 2024.

The Phenomenology of Light in Contemporary Religious Architecture

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 08:30:00 +0000

The significance of daylight in volumes of space exceeds its function of illumination. Light is a creative tool manipulated by architects to infuse a space with a metaphysical spirit, influencing the emotional states of its occupants. Having a phenomenological effect on the human psyche, light and shadow have been played with to invoke a sense of divinity and spirituality into the character of religious buildings. The interplay between architecture and light is a powerful one, shaping a deeper experience of spirituality.