Applications of Concrete in Contemporary Sacral Architecture

Abstract

Defining the contemporary sacred space is connected not only with the search for the sacredness of the interior, but also with the balance between the selection of the most appropriate construction systems, which are made of concrete and reinforced concrete, together with the possibility to create the whole building, the form which is the intention of its creator. New kinds of materials, which are now less and less constrained by structural obstacles, have broadened directions of exploration and development of new forms in architecture. Undoubtedly, the invention of reinforced concrete, in the second half of the nineteenth century, was also the beginning of a revolution in architecture and the source of new challenges in creation of the sacred space. The use of concrete and reinforced concrete, as well as its combinations with other building materials, can be traced on various buildings. Having considered more than a century of experience in the use of these materials in the construction of architectural objects, including sacred space, the selected churches from different time periods of different scales were analysed. In order to compare the way of using the potential of concrete and its application in the construction of sacred objects, the analysis began with the church of August Peretta in Le Raincy. The author of the construction used thin reinforced concrete supporting columns and a vault as a reinforced coffered ceiling. The latest example of such a building is the church of Lech and Wojciech Szymborski in Warsaw, which is currently being built using the combination of technological and technical possibilities, as well as the most suitable selection of concrete mixtures. All that in order to create a unique building with a main nave structure both in a frame and plate system. The changing role of concrete and reinforced concrete is evident in the creation of new forms of sacred buildings, regardless of their scale. Moreover, the ongoing transmutation of concrete is visible through the creativity-enhancing fascination with this material, which has become, not only readily available, but also commonly used as a replaceable, multifunctional substitute in fine arts, technology and decorative elements. Furthermore, it has been repeatedly used as a construction material, which, when left without further finishing, results in being either an internal or external finish. The article is an attempt to answer the question how the approach to the use of this material has changed in the creation of the form and its interior, while paying particular attention to its internal and external exposure.