ARCHITECTURAL THEORY & DESIGN METHODOLOGIES
Carlos Gonzรกlez A01281894
Canonical Building
Steven Holl Chapel of St. Ignatius Steven Holl
Local Building
BelĂŠn Moneo & Jeff Brock Iglesia de El SeĂąor de la Misericordia
Introduction Steven Holl
Steven Holl – Chapel of St. Ignatius Steven Holl is an American architect and artist whose built work draws on contemporary theories of phenomenology. Instead of imposing a style on a site, he argued, the site itself should generate the “architectural idea” applied to it. The Chapel of St. Ignacio was build between 1994 and 1997, in the city of Seattle, United States. This construction clearly represents the essence of the author, since his work stands out for its use of the fragmented cube and the modulation of space and light. (University, S. (n.d.). Chapel https://www.seattleu.edu/chapel/)
of
St.
Ignatius
,from
Belen Moneo & Jeff Brock - Iglesia Pueblo Serena Belen Moneo & Jeff Brock
Belén M. and Jeff B. are co-founder of Moneo Brock Studio. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University and he graduated from Princeton University. The “Iglesia de El Senior de la Misericordia” is located in the center of the Pueblo Serena in Monterrey. The most significant factor in the location and orientation of the church is its relationship with a plaza. The plaza and the church are important public spaces that dialogue with each other, where rites and religious festivities can be welcome. (Moneo Brock. (n.d.), from https://www.moneobrock.com)
The purpose of this essay is to analyze the different architectural concepts that can been found in a building of the same typology: The first one is the Chapel St. Ignatius by Steven Holl, located in Seattle University and the second one is the “Iglesia de El Señor de la Misericordia” located at the center of the plaza of Pueblo Serena. Some concepts that are analyed are atmósphere, site, scale, time, form and more.
¿WHERE?-Atmosphere Canonical Building
Canonical Building The atmosphere that creates this place is an atmosphere of union, peace, tranquility and reflection due to its exterior and its colorful interior that lead you to experience several emotions. “The chapel is approached through a processional space comprising a lawn area, reflecting pool, distinctive bell tower. The lawn area is bordered by six Japanese Katsura trees. The… reflection pool provides a place for people to contemplate the shifting reflections of sky, clouds, and the bell tower. This peaceful setting draws the human spirit to contemplation…”. (University, S. (n.d.). Chapel of St. Ignatius., from https://www.seattleu.edu/chapel/)
Local Building Local Building
The atmosphere that creates this building is a family atmosphere, since the environment where the church is located is an open-air plaza with green spaces, besides the natural light and the inside materials such as wood and white colors give armory and give a feeling of calm and harmony that you receive in a very pleasant way. “A spiritual space designed to create a family atmosphere…”. The light, the materials, the spaces, all work together to create a harmonic atmosphere where everyone can feel welcome. (E. (n.d.). Pueblo Serena, from http://www.puebloserena.com/#section4)
Atmosphere: According to Peter Zumthor, “We perceive atmospheres through our emotional sensibility”. Atmospheres are perceived through human emotional sensibility. This form of perception works incredibly quickly and humans evidently need it to help them survive. (Barragán, 2008, p.86).
¿WHERE?-Context Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building The context is very important to develop any project, in this case the context in which the church is located is inside the University of Seattle where it have a great diversity of students that belong to different parts of the world. Due to this the Chapel consist of seventh vessel of letting people know that everyone is welcome even through they are from different places. “A gathering of different lights, referred both to the large number of different backgrounds of the University´s student body (60 nation represented) and to the liturgical division of the Jesuit university's chapel program”. (Holl, 2006, p.154) Local Building The church is located in Monterrey, Mexico as the center of a plaza in order that both areas, the plaza and the church could be complemented. Monterrey is a city in constant development and an industrial city. That’s why the church have a modern design, this helps the church to have a modern look with the past of time.” Both the church and the square are important public spaces that dialogue with each other, where rites and religious festivities can find reception when the confines of the enclosure overflow. If the church were located in other place it will loss part of it essence. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, Iglesia en Pueblo Serena, p.2)
Context: According to Gregotti is “The task of the architecture project is to reveal, through the transformation of form, the essence of the surrounding context”. (Forty, 2000, p.14.)
¿WHERE?-Temperature Canonical Building
Canonical Building Not only the weather can give you a feeling of warmth or cold, but also the colors can cause the perspiration of a room to change. For example the red color give a sense of warm and the blue color give a sense of cold (hot and cold colors) that help you feel balanced. “The twofold merging of concept and phenomena in the chapel is communicated in this visual phenomenon of complementary colors.” The variations of color creates different phases of comfort between the transition of one place to other, that create different sensations and atmospheres. (Holl, 1999, p.82)
Local Building
Local Building
In Monterrey the climate is very varied, however in times of heat reaches maximum temperatures of 34, due to this the church has a ventilation system that allows the natural air flow through openings of entrance and exit in strategic points, also were built with space materials so your interior is not so hot. “In keeping with the high temperature of this place… materials and warm tones were chosen, such as marble or wood flooring. Also, by the use different tonalities of color it create a warmer or color atmosphere. (M., 2017, Iglesia en Pueblo Serena, from https://www.metalocus.es)
Temperature: According to Zumthor “Temperature is physical and psychological as well. It is in what is seen, felt, and touched.” The main sensory thermal responses are the sensations of cold, heat and discomfort from sensible perspiration. (Barragán, 2008, p.84.)
¿WHERE?-Type Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building It is very easy to identify a church, but not all are the same, since each one has a different organization always maintaining its most important elements such as the altar, the atrium, the baptistery, the choir, the latin cross, etc. For example in this church the altar is on the right side while it should be found at the back of the church. Also, a way to identify the different areas of the chapel is depending of the color of the room the “bottle of light”. “Each bottle of light corresponds to a program element…”.The source of light help dividing and distinguishing each área.(Holl, 1999, p.16) Local Building The plant of the temple counts on a central ship by 18 meters of long whose north-south axis ends at the altar. In the west of the nave we have the baptistery and the choir in an upper floor. “Although the church has a marked modern character, the organization of the church in plant derives from traditional churches, and the design presents recognizable architectural features, extracted from prototypes of Christian temples; such as the bell tower, the stained glass windows, the front altar, the baptistery, the choir, the three chapels and the inner courtyard.” (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.3)
Type: According to Rossi; “Ultimately, we can say that type is the very idea of architecture, that which is closest to its essence.”, “The Word type presents less the image of a thing to copy or imitate completely than the idea of an element which ought itself to serve as a rule for the model… as understood in the practical execution of the art, is an object that should be repeated as it is; the type, on the contrary, is an object after which each can conceive Works of art that may have no resemblance” (Forty, 2000,p.304-305)
¿WHEN?-Memory Canonical Building
Canonical Building As the church is located in the Seattle University, that’s why it has great impact on the students since it has a place where it can communicate spiritually and socially with its partners, since the outside area of a church allows a dialogue with the students and the spaces where they can develop. "The six-inch-deep reflection pool provides a place for people to contemplate the shifting reflections of sky, clouds, and the bell tower. This peaceful setting draws the human spirit to contemplation. A box of wild grasses is set into the pool, as is a rock of black Palisades basalt from Mt. Rainier.”(University, S. (n.d.). Bell Tower & Reflecting Pool, from https://www.seattleu.edu/)
Local Building
Local Building This church is not only unique for its style and design, but also for the value added by the church to the plaza and the plaza to the church that manage to integrate among them creating a family and joyful atmosphere. This leads to familiar moments and events were all can participate and mark their life remembering their childhood or some especial moment. “Both the church and the square are important public spaces that dialogue with each other, where rites and religious festivities can find reception when the confines of the enclosure overflow.”(Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.2)
Memory: According to Ruskin, “We may live without her (architecture), and worship without her, but we cann´t remember without her.” “This secondary pleasure of the imagination proceeds from the action of the mind, which compares the ideas arising from the original objects, with the ideas that we receive from the statue, picture, description, or sound that represents them.”(Barragán, 2008, p.91)
¿WHEN?-Time Canonical Building
Canonical Building Time is an element that can be measured not only with a clock, but also with sunlight. The Chapel takes advantage of this opportunity to see how the time go in its interior rough the "light bottle“; the light of each bottle enters in different directions disappearing or becoming larger or smaller depending the sun position, which gives you a reference of time. "Sunprojected light from the colored lenses marks certain times of the day and year. Time or duration is a central theme of the interior... This oscillating wave of reflected color, like a breath, invigorates the silent space.”(Holl, 1999, p.92)
Local Building Local Building
As the day passes and the sunlight changes, so do the light in the church and its colors. Achieving that the environment and the color was distinguished every hour. “Each diamond has a particular orientation, so the color of light of these chapels that illuminate the central nave changes throughout the day.” Time could be measure by different way such as light and color, for example in the mooring the church has a bright color and during the afternoon the church haves a darker color. Color can me use to measure dime only when natural light is present. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.3)
Time: According to Agustine; “That the present is not a singular notion; it is a threefold notion that includes a present about the future “expectation”; a present about the past “memory;” and a present about the present “attention.” Time is constituted not by the movements of objects but by the multiple structure of the threefold present, a structure of human experience”. (Barragán, 2008, p.67)
¿HOW?-Form Canonical Building
Canonical Building The form is the element that will bring life to the church, since even it does not have a symmetrical or modulated symmetry, this form allowed to absorb different rays of sunlight and to illuminate different areas of the church with different natural light. “The building takes the form of irregular skylights erupting from a basically rectangular building comprised of tiltup concrete slab walls. This rectangular part forms the stone box while the skylights and bell-tower for the seven bottles.” “…light is shaped in different volumes emerging from the roof whose irregularities aim at different qualities of light…” (Holl, (n.d), from http://www.stevenholl.com
Local Building Local Building
The form of this church was inspired by the "Ecstasy of St. Teresa“. The towers represent the fingers of the hand based on the divine mercy, in consequence the form allows the different sunlight enter to the inside of the church and change during the day. “Volumes that not only seek the best light for interior spaces as we mentioned before - but also generate a complete dialogue with the public space abroad.” The form of the church help caching different sunlight to create a nice and harmonic atmosphere. Also, the from a modern style to the church that will keep at any moment. (Moneo Brock, 2017, from https://www.metalocus.es)
Form: According to Tschumi from is “The paradigm of the architect passed down to us through the modern period is that of the form-giver, the creator of hierarchical and symbolic structure characterized on the one hand, by their unity of parts and, on the their, by the transparency of the form to meaning. (Forty, 2000, p.149)
¿HOW?-Light Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building Lights is the program of the building. Most of the interior light sources are tinted either by colored lens or indirect reflection from painted surfaces, and arranged so that each is juxtaposed with its complementary color. The result is a mysteriously glowing interior whose visual mood changes throughout the day and the year. Light is the main element of this church, Holl plays with the lights of the interior of the church by the "seven light bottle" that each one has a different color depending its location or orientation in the church. “More than any other local building, the chapel makes light its essence…” (Holl, 1999, p.92) Local Building Light plays a very important role in this church, without this delicate and beautiful rays of light, this would only be only one more church. The light in the church creates life and purity. Natural light creates the latin cross that is up the atrium, which give the feeling of the power of God, light give the power to the church. “Stained-glass windows of the large rosette (a current reinterpretation of this Gothic element, which this time is orientated to the west to enjoy greater luminosity), the stained glass of the ossuaries and the shrine golden with triangular geometric shapes” (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.3)
Light: According to A. Campo “ When an architect finally discovers that light is the central subject of Architecture, that is when he o she has began to understand something and begun to be a real architect . Light is not something vague, diffuse, taken for granted because it is always there. Not for nothing does the sun rise every day.” (Barragán, 2008, p. 71)
¿HOW?-Order Canonical Building
Canonical Building Although the order that makes up a church are not the same, you can see an order in the areas due to the colors and the importance of the circulation of the church to from one area to another, without interruptions. Something different in this church is that the benches are not in front of the altar, but surround it. “Holl's objective is to bring the congregation closer to the altar. He achieves this by the sweep of two heavy arches that straddle the main worship space: Facing forward, they frame the priest.” This organization provoke to closer to God, in other to talk with him. (Holl, 1999, p.92)
Local Building
Local Building Although the church has a modern style with a very strange shape, it maintains an order that allows the church to be develop its activities. “Although the church has a marked modern character, the organization of the church in plant derives from traditional churches, and the design presents recognizable architectural features, extracted from prototypes of Christian temples; such as the bell tower, the stained glass windows, the front altar, the baptistery, the choir, the three chapels and the inner courtyard.” (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.3)
Order: According to Le Corbusier “To create architecture is to put in order. Put what in order? Functions and Objects.” Also According to Vitruvius “Now architecture consists of order, which in Greek is called taxis… Order is the balanced adjustment of the details of the work separately, and , as to the whole, the arrangement of the proportion with a view t a symmetrical result.” (Forty, 2000, p.240.)
¿HOW?-Scale Canonical Building
Canonical Building In the "Chapel of St. Ignatius" the bell tower in front of the church also serves as reference since its scale is very large that allows to identify the church from far. Also, the church door has a small scale and you can associate it with the human figure to give you an idea of its dimensions, then after entering to the church, the scale increased due to the height of the ceiling. Then after the height increase it start reducing until you enter to the altar were the scale increase again with the help of the ceiling. “The larger door, measuring 6 by 9 feet, will be opened for major ceremonies” (University, S., (n.d.), from https://www.seattleu.edu/chapel)
Local Building
Local Building The scale of the church is gigantic, from the outside you can see different volumes of different dimensions, that is why you can infer or associate the scale with the volumes and also support with the levels of the plaza that surround the church. It has a height of 15m of height. In addition the bell tower measuring 43m serves as a reference for the site. “The 43m high bell tower allows the church to be seen from a great distance, serving as a reference to the drivers of the national highway…The plant of the temple counts on a central ship of 15m width, by 18m length... “ (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.3)
Scale: According to Moore & Allen “Scale is not the same thing as size; scale is relative size, the size of something relative to something else. Relative to the whole, to other parts, to usual size, and to human size.” Every part of a building has a size, so scale, which involves arranging various sizes in some order is fundamental. (Barragán, 2008, p. 98)
¿WHAT?-Function Canonical Building
Canonical Building The function of the church is welcome and reunion all of their students from all over the world in one place, they achieve this by the use of light and the distributions of the areas. To reach the sanctuary it is necessary to tie almost all the church to finally see the beautiful atrium of the church, the church has the perfect lighting and the perfect space to develop the activities. The mission of the university, “…Seattle University´s mission and… St. Ignatius vision of the spiritual life as comprising many interior lights and darkness's, which he called consolations and desolations. (University, S., (n.d.), from https://www.seattleu.edu/chapel)
Local Building
Local Building The function of the church is to create an environment of coexistence and harmony in the place, since the churches train with a sense of purity, freedom and power, this is what makes the plaza of "Pueblo Serena" work, since it is the heart of the place, not only for being a church, but also for its architectural design of great magnitude that works with its external and its interior environment. “The most significant factor in the location and orientation of the church is its relationship with a large plaza. Both the church and the plaza are important public spaces”. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.2)
Function: According Sullivan, function “Was the inner spiritual force that determine “organic” form; “environment” is an external agency, a determinate of “mechanical” form, in the terminology of the Romantics.(Forty, 2000, p. 178)
¿WHAT?-Character Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building When you see the church, you can not imagine that it is a church, due to its different volumetric and the materials that are found outside. However, the character of a church is referenced in its interior, since with wooden materials and light rays of lightning creates a heavenly and divine atmosphere. Without this elements the essence of a church will be unrecognizable. “Seven bottles of light in a Stone box”, and this fanciful notion eventually took the form of irregular skylights erupting from a basically rectangular building comprised of tilt-up concrete slab walls.” (Pastier J., 2001, http://www.historylink.org)
Local Building The essence of the church is almost lost with the different volumes of the church, however, if you can identify character of a church, which is the bell tower, which is the highest volume in which you can see the bells. Inside the church the entrance to the church feels very strong due to all its decoration and religious symbols and paintings. “The 43-meter high bell tower allows the church to be seen from a great distance, serving as a reference”. Without the bell tower the outside of the church will loss it essence and character, but in the inside the essence of a religious power is very strong. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.2)
Character: According Sullivan & Kindergarten, “Character is a large word, full of significance; metaphoric river can more than hint at its meaning.” Also, Schulz states “we have to emphasize that all places have character, and that character is the basic mode in which the world is given” (Barragán, 2008, p. 98)
¿FOR WHO?-Use Canonical Building
Canonical Building The user of the church of the Seattle University is mainly all the students of the university even if it comes from different parts of the world, since it was designed so that regardless of where you come form you can feel comfortable and attempt to church. “I think there has been more student input on this job than any other university Project I have done.” said Steven Holl. Student comments helped anchor the design, and according to Holl, the result was a design that would be forward looking, but anchored in the past.”. It make the user on single individual. (University, S. (n.d.), From https://www.seattleu.edu)
Local Building Local Building
The use of this church is diverse, since it is not only for going to mass, but also for special events, for weddings and among others, since its space is big enough for a large number of people to sit and feel comfortable and joy celebrations and events. “The acoustics was important. A study of the spaces was made and optimal materials were arranged such as wood modulated by strips in the most necessary points: on the wall behind and in front of the altar, on the entrance and in the whole of the walls of the choir.” (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.4)
Use: According to Alberti “Architecture owes its birth to Necessity, nurtured by Convenience, and embellished by Use.” (Barragan, 2008, p. 104) Kahn, states that “A building should offer a system of spaces adaptable to needs in time. The spaces and their consequent form should originate from broad interpretations of use rather than a satisfaction of a program for a specific system of operation.” (Barragán, 2008, p. 104)
¿FOR WHO?-User Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building The user of the Church are 52 colonies that locate near the plaza and any individual that visit the plaza, "Pueblo Serena". The church is located in front of the plaza which have many restaurants, inconsequence the users that visit the church are diverse, but the main users are families, who go to mass before or after eating in the plaza. “…a new commercial and social center… The most significant factor in the location and orientation of the church is its relationship with a large plaza…church and the plaza are important public spaces that dialogue with each other. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.1)
Local Building The user of the Church are 52 colonies that locate near the plaza and any individual that visit the plaza, "Pueblo Serena". The church is located in front of the plaza which have many restaurants, inconsequence the users that visit the church are diverse, but the main users are families, who go to mass before or after eating in the plaza. “…a new commercial and social center… The most significant factor in the location and orientation of the church is its relationship with a large plaza…church and the plaza are important public spaces that dialogue with each other. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.2)
User: According to Swan, “That analysis of user needs would lead to new architectural solutions to a truly “modern” architecture. Secondly, the choice of the term “user” may be understood in terms of the expansion of the functionalist paradigm. The third purpose of the “user” was to sustain architects belief systems during a period of astonishing favor and good fortune for the profession.” (Forty, 2000, p. 314)
¿WITH WHAT?-Structure Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building The structure of this church is made up of 21 concrete panels that were assembled by cranes in 2 days, these panels are the body of the church which can be seen from the outside. “Twenty-one separate Wall panels …Once hardened, the panels were raised with a large crane, rotated, and set into place as interlocking tablets along weighs 77 tons…The roof is constructed from curved tubular Steel beams the define the chapels interior vaults and its arched “bottles of light” on the roof. These bottles, as well as the bell tower, are covered in Rheinzink, a metal that reflects the changing colors of the sky.” (University, S., (n.d.), from https://www.seattleu.edu). Local Building The structure of the church is not visible since it is covered by concrete and paint, however the whole church is made of block, which makes it a very heavy and resistant structure. Its constructive process was longer due to the use of blocks and concrete, however his results were excellent creating very high volumes and with different orientation. “Being an exempt building and being in the core of the urban area, its exterior volumetric of modern design offers solidity and aplomb.” Even thought the structure is no visible, it thee strong and stable. (Moneo Brock Studio, 2016, p.2)
Structure: According to Tschumi, “The architect is not meant to question the structure. The structure must stand firm . After all, what would happen to insurance premiums (and to reputation) if the building collapsed .”(Forty, 2008, p. 276)
Conclusion Canonical Building
Local Building
Canonical Building The Chapel of St. Ignatius is a brilliant architectural work that not only achieves a unique atmosphere within it, due to its "Bottle of Light", but also manages to coexist with its surroundings, since they do not exist to sweep to transit or enter the church. Creating an atmosphere of prosperity, calm, harmony and unity not only in the church area, but throughout the university, since a single building can communicate several things of its environment and the context in which it is located. Steven Holl, make an incredible joy creating this master piece.
Local Building The “Iglesia de El SeĂąor de la Misericordiaâ€? is unique in its kind in Monterrey, since it manage integrate the plaza as one more area of the church, these two complement each other and work together to give life to the place, however if the church was in another context this would have a different personality. The plaza and the church manage to coexist, with open spaces that permit the transition between them with out interrupting it. This creates an atmosphere of calm and peace between the them.
Coexistence: Both churches manage to coexist with their surroundings since they do not have anything that divides or separates them from each other, for that reason they manage to be in harmony among them.
Bibliografía
Foot Notes • Forty, Adrian. Words and Buildings: a vocabulary of modern Architecture. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2000. • Barragán, Rodolfo. “An Architectural Score: Recording And Orchestrating An Architectural Experience.” Ph.D. Thesis, Illinois Institute of Technology, 2008. Books Canonic • • •
Holl, S. (1997). Entrelazamientos: obras y proyectos 1989-1995. Barcellona: Gustavo Gili. Holl, S. (2006). Parallax. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Holl, S., & Cobb, G. T. (1999). The Chapel of St. Ignatius. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.
Magazine Canonic • • •
Saunders, C. (2015). Sequential Transcendence: An Architectural Response to the Contemporary Multi-Site Church Typology. (Electronic Thesis or Dissertation). Retrieved from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ Ouroussoff, N. (1997, Mar 30). ARCHITECTURE REVIEW; mystic meets modern; steven holl's chapel of saint ignatius in seattle creates a sense of community within and outside its walls. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from http://0search.proquest.com.millenium.itesm.mx/docview/421128812?accountid=41938 Levy, E. A. (1993). A canonical work of an uncanonical era: Re-reading the chapel of saint ignatius (1695-1699) in the gesu of rome. (volumes I-III) (Order No. 9328050). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304096388). Retrieved from http://0search.proquest.com.millenium.itesm.mx/docview/304096388?accountid=41938
Local • •
Proyectos Españoles Internacionales (2017), Iglesia de Pueblo Serena Monterrey, México; from www.promateriales.com/pdf/PM-103-8-2.pdf Moneo Brock Studio.(2016)Iglesia en Pueblo Serena; from http://www.tectonicablog.com/docs/MoneoBrock.pd
Web Pages Canonical • • •
AD Classics: Chapel of St. Ignatius / Steven Holl Architects. (2011, February 28). Retrieved September 14, 2017, http://www.archdaily.com/115855/ad-classics-chapel-of-st-ignatius-steven-holl-architects Architects, S. H. (n.d.). STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/st-ignatius-chapel Capilla San Ignacio - Ficha, Fotos y Planos. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://es.wikiarquitectura.com/edificio/capilla-san-ignacio/
from
Local • • •
Iglesia en Pueblo Serena / Moneo Brock Studio. (2016, October 12). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://www.archdaily.mx/mx/797036/iglesiaen-pueblo-serena-moneo-brock-studio M. (n.d.). METALOCUS. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.metalocus.es/es/noticias/iglesia-en-pueblo-serena-monterrey-por-moneo-brock Arquitectura Iglesia Contemporánea | Moneo Brock arquitectos Madrid. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://moneobrock.com/es/medium/iglesia-contemporanea-lucernarios