Between Concept and Identity

The identity of places of worship is one of the most difficult problems faced by religious architecture at the start of this new millennium. Contemporary globalising experiences demand, peremptorily, a reflection, both conceptual and situational, on the origin of objects, people and institutions. Nevertheless, the chance of these migration flows annihilating already-existing religious identities is perceived as a problem. This problem is directly linked to the survival of architecture as a system carrying a material representation of the divine and constituting a self-reference system for the community of believers. Therefore, it is important to define the extent to which the new religious architecture has given room to an abstract type of formal experimentation which is disconnected from social reality. Does this architecture maintain its bridging, sacramental value, or, on the contrary, has it given way to the conceptualist trends still alive in the artistic world? Is metaphor a valid concept for the Christian religion? Is there an essential aspect linking this architecture to the centuries-old tradition of the Catholic Church? Different architectural, pedagogical, exhibition and formal initiatives have arisen in recent years and it is necessary to get to know them, with the purpose of understanding where contemporary religious architecture is heading in its eternal search for a permanent identity. Book jacket TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR’S PREFACE LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS SECTION 1 THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MYSTICAL BODY THE DEBATE ON THE IDENTITYOF THE NEW CHURCHES. THE ITALIAN SITUATION FROM THEOLOGY TO IDENTITYIN CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SACRED SPACE REDEFINING THE SACRED IN THE URBAN REALM THE SACRED SPACE IN THE GLOBALISED SOCIETY SOCIETY 2 LERCARO AND THE BEGINNING OF MODERN LITURGICAL ARCHITECTURE THE CONCEPTS AND IDENTITY CONTEMPORTAY HUNGARIAN CHURCH-ARCHITECTURE THE SEARCH FOR THE IRISH NATIONALIDENTITY THROUGH CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AN AMAZING PROJECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSIONS OF CHICANOS SECTION 3 CONTINUATIO NATURAE. THE MONASTICARCHITECTURE OF DOM HANS VAN DER LAAN DOM HANS VAN DER LAAN'S ARCHITECTONIC SPACE CISTERCIAN MINIMALISM THE CHAPELS OF LABOUR UNIVERSITIES THE HOLY FAMILY CHURCH A STUDY OF DIFFERENCES IN THE PHYSICAL SPACES IN CHRISTIANITY SECTION 4 SAINT GEORGE'S CHURCH AND PARISH COMPLEX IN PAMPLONA THE TRADITIONALWORSHIP AND SOCIAL REALITY THE CONSTRUCTION OF 22 CHURCHESFOR TURIN’S PERIPHERY (1965-1977) CONTEMPORARY CITIES AND THEPRESENCE OF THE CHURCH CHURCH BUILDING AND THERMAL CITY IN ITALY THE CAVEDONE DISTRICT CHURCH, BOLOGNA THE DISTRICT CHURCH SECTION 5 BUILDING THE RELIGIOUS SPACE THE SILENCED DEATH FATHER COSTANTINO RUGGERI,THE SINGER OF BEAUTY AN UPDATE ON SACRED ART IN THE SPANISHTRADITION OF MYSTICAL REALISM METAPHOR, BEAUTY AND CONTEMPORANEITYIN THE SPHERE OF WORSHIP INDEX The identity of places of worship is one of the most difficult problems faced by religious architecture at the start of this new millennium. Contemporary globalizing experiences demand, peremptorily, a reflection, both conceptual and situational, on the origin of objects, people and institutions. Nevertheless, the chance of these migration flows annihilating already-existing religious identities is perceived as a problem. This problem is directly linked to the survival of architecture as a system carrying a material representation of the divine and constituting a self-reference system for the community of believers. Therefore, it is important to define the extent to which the new religious architecture has given room to an abstract type of formal experimentation which is disconnected from social reality. Does this architecture maintain its bridging, sacramental value, or, on the contrary, has it given way to the conceptualist trends still alive in the artistic world? Is metaphor a valid concept for the Christian religion? Is there an essential aspect linking this architecture to the centuries-old tradition of the Catholic Church? Different architectural, pedagogical, exhibition and formal initiatives have arisen in recent years and it is necessary to get to know them, with the purpose of understanding where contemporary religious architecture is heading in its eternal search for a permanent identity Edited By Esteban Ferná́ndez-cobián.