BAP: Church of the Beatified Restituta

CHURCH OF BEATIFIED RESTITUTA Atelier Štepán ANALYSIS BY KATE SUGGS AND OLIVER CAZDEN ARCH 341-08 Fall 2020 Z. Rasti

CHURCH OF BEATIFIED RESTITUTA Brno-Server, Czech Republic Atelier Štepán

Building Analysis by Kate Suggs and Oliver Cazden ARCH 341-08, Fall 2020 Z. Rasti

Cover image credit: BoysPlayNice

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01: story 02: site 03: space 04: structure 05: skin 06: circulation 07: reflection 08: reference 09: Poster

01: STORY PROJECT DATA

Location: Brno-Server, Czech Republic

Year of Completed Construction: 2020

Clients: Roman Catholic Parish of Brno-Lesná

Total Area: 2350m^2

Capacity: 400 People

PROJECT DESIGN TEAM

Architect: Atelier Štepán

Design Team: Marek Jan Štěpán, Vanda Štěpánová, František Brychta, Jan Vodička, Martin Kopecký

Manufacturers: Vanceva, Viabizzuno, Glasssolutions, JAP, JÁNOŠÍK OKNA-DVEŘE, Lumideé,

Saint Gobain, TBG Betonmix

Facade Drawings: Petr Kvíčala

Photographs: BoysPlayNice

ARCHITECT FIRM PROFILE Atelier Štepán is a small Czech studio established in 1997 by husband and wife Marek Jan Štěpán and Vanda Štěpánová. Marek originated the Decor-Structuralism movement, which is a variation of Modernist design. However, instead of focusing on creating only pure and undecorated buildings, Marek believes that architects should feel free to include functional ornament. Atelier Štepán believes that ornament can be discovered from the structure of a building and that it is a natural evolution of the building’s form.

The Church of Beatified Restitute fits well into Atelier Štepán’s portfolio. The studio’s work makes use of bold geometric shapes, often a circle. They also pay close attention to the role of light in a space and how it can be manipulated to convey a spiritual message. Atelier Štepán focuses on religious and residential work, though there are a few notable exceptions.

1.1 View of main entrance and bell tower credit: BoysPlayNice

PROJECT BACKGROUND This project was made for the Roman Catholic Parish of Brno-Lesná and is located near the major city of Brno in Czechia. Marek Jan Štěpán had been working on the concept of this church for 30 years before it began construction, and there had been talks of building a church in this location since 1968. It is 25,295 square feet and construction was completed on this project in 2020. The church is located near many tall apartment buildings, so it draws attention to itself through its unique form and not its height. A circle was chosen for the main church space because it is a symbol of heaven and eternity. Because of the high location of the church’s rainbow windows, the ceiling seems to float above the ground in a heaven-like way. Looking out towards the church is a triangular bell tower, symbolizing the vertical relationship between God and the members of the church. This building truly embodies Marek’s Decor-Stucturalism theory, making use of simple and intentional ornament.

Since most of the building is made of white concrete, the bright colors used in the bell tower and the church windows stand out.

REFLECTION AND EVALUATION At first observation, The Church of Beatified Restitute seems like a very complicated building. The form of the building looks modernist, but the details are too bright and eccentric to fit the normal modernist mold. It is easy to tell where the main church is, but the use of the triangular tower in the corner is unclear. Especially considering its program, this building looks odd. However, upon further research, the intentionality of these strange design choices becomes clear. As the sun moves through the sky, the colors of the light reflected on the church ceiling will change. All the building shapes have symbolic meanings, and there is even symbolism in the concrete formwork.

This building fits Atelier Štěpán’s Decor-Structuralism theory perfectly, showing modernist simplicity in its form without rejecting ornament. Especially considering the 30 years Marek spent working on this project, it’s easy to consider this building his magnum opus. However, it is unclear how much this building was inspired by the local landscape and culture. The surrounding buildings were considered, but other than that fact there aren’t many choices that seem to be inspired by the site. In some ways it seems like this church could have been placed at any location on the planet. Hopefully with more research this connection to the environment will be made clear.

1.2 Concept sketches of conregation credit: Petr Kvíčala

SKIN 1

SKIN 2

EGRESS AND FIRE LIFE SAFETY ENERGY

DIAGRAM OVERLAYS CIRCULATION

PROGRAM+EGRESS+SKIN 2

THERMAL AND VENTILATION

STRUCTURE

PROGRAM

VENTILATION+SKIN 2

CIRCULATION+STRUCTURE

02: SITE NUCLEAR

FOSSIL FUEL GROUND WATER

ELECTRICTY

SITE WASTE WATER

PLANT TREATED WATER

RIVER 1.3 View of church from above credit: Google Maps

ENERGY FLOW

BUILDING CONTEXT

The majority of water supplied to the city is groundwater. Nearly 60% of the energy in the

This church was constructed just outside the city center of Brno-Server in a primarily a residential

country comes from fossil fuels, 30% of energy comes from nuclear power. Brno transports all

area. Most of the buildings nearby are tall concrete buildings, so the architects could not make the

of its waste water to a treatment plant in the town of Modrice. The treated water then flows into

church stand out simply by making it tall. This forced them to make the building unique through

the Morava river.

its form. This site is 500 feet away from the birthplace of a famous religious figure, making it very meaningful.

WIND WHEEL

TIMETABLE PLOT

Winter Solstice Summer Solstice

CLIMATE ANALYSIS Brno has a temperate climate, but it is a bit on the colder side. Because of this, passive heating would very important for this design. The high windows allow light to pass into the building all day long, which is reflected by the 2nd floor’s railing to create soft diffused light. It is currently unclear if there are any thermal masses to store heat. The architects payed special attention to how this building was ventilated both mechanically and passively. Air is funneled in at the bottom of the building and rises as it heats up. This hot air is moved out of the building at the top, ensuring that the church stays cool and comfortable.

03: SPACE Bell Tower Utilities Choir Congregation

1.4 View of raiser choir seats credit: BoysPlayNice

PROGRAM The program of this building is primarily composed of a large worship and gathering space.

However, raised above the ground level are two choir spaces that overlook the assembly space. The basement layer below the chapel houses mechanical and utility rooms. The tower next to the main worship space serves as an observation deck.

FLOOR 1

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SECTION A

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SECTION B CHOIR PLATFORMS

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FLOOR 2

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04: STRUCTURE Girders Steel Rings Columns Rebar Concrete

1.5 Roof form overlaying truss system credit: Atelier Štepán

STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION The structural support for the roof of this building is composed of steel trusses that vary in shape to match the dome of the roof. These trusses then transfer their load to a steel ring that runs along the outside of the building. In order to accommodate the 360° windows, the structural load is then transfered to steel columns. At the bottom of these windows, the load is again transfered to a steel ring. From there, the structural system is finished by a solid reinforced concrete base. This concrete extends into ground to create a basement level and a foundation.

05: SKIN

CONCRETE FACADE

RAINBOW RING WINDOW

The primary material used in the cladding of this building is concrete. This material was chosen

The distinct affect the colored glass windows produce along the ceiling and walls of the main

because it is used in many of the surrounding buildings and because it’s surface reflects the

congregation come to defined the experience of the church. The light that entered through them is

subtle differences in the way it is mixed or poured. There are a variety of concrete finished used

bounced off the long overhang up towered the ceiling, creating a beautiful rainbow gradient.

throughout the building, from the rough ceiling to the smooth exterior walls. This widespread use of concrete results in a cool and solid envelope. Its simplicity also allows for the colorful windows and the unique form to stand out.

06: CIRCULATION Vertical Circulation Horizontal Circulation

VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION As the main chapel is fairly open except for some pews and a stage, the circulation is very loosely defined. Occupants are free to wander around and take in the lighting effect on the ceiling. In order to access the choir platforms, occupants must use a staircase tucked near the front entrance. Occupants can take a staircase in the tower up to the second floor of the chapel, where they can circulate around a narrow walkway and see the colorful windows up close. This tower staircase goes up further to an observation deck that overlooks the church. The staircase itself is not very experiential, however, as it is squeezed into a tight space and has to serve as a fire exit. It is also interesting to note that this building completely disregards accessible vertical circulation.

1.6 Upper walkway along ring window credit: BoysPlayNice

Exit Access Exit Way Vertical Discharge Horizontal Discharge

EGRESS AND FIRE LIFE SAFETY

Cool Air Hot Air Vent Plant

THERMAL AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS

The egress for the main chapel space is simple, as it leads straight out into the courtyard. The

The plant for this building is located in the underground parking garage. Because of the slope of the

occupants of the two choir areas can circulate down their connected staircase and exit through the

site, however, it has access to the outside. This allows it to circulate air in and out of the building. Air

front door as well. Anyone occupying the upper circulation space of chapel or the observation tower

is then fed up and into the main chapel room, where it circulates up into the top of the chapel. There

must make their way to the tower’s staircase, which serves as a fire-safe exit from the building. Since

is also a similar system in place for natural ventilation that lets it flow through the building.

the occupancy for these two areas is very low, they can get away with a limited means of egress.

Altogether, the exit access distance for an occupant at any point in the building is fairly short.

ASE ANALYSIS

SDA ANALYSIS

ENERGY AND LIGHTING ANALYSIS The use of large windows around the entire upper perimeter of the building allows for light to permeate deep into the space. This limits the need for significant lighting in the large three story cathedral.

However, this large space in the cooler climate of Czechia requires a good deal of heating to keep warm during the winter months.

07: REFLECTION When we began to examine this project we thought the form the architect used was only for the lighting effect. But we soon realized that the large swooping ledge ringing the bottom of the windows in addition to bouncing the light up to the ceiling promotes airflow in and out of the space below. The domed ceiling helps create interesting lighting effects but also helps with a water catchment system that carries water down to a cistern in the basement. This project at first glance is entirely formdriven, but the closer you look the more clever design solutions begin to appear subtly integrated into the design.

Because of the Church of Beatified Resituta’s location near many tall apartment buildings, it couldn’t rely on sheer height to attract attention. Instead, the architects focused on creating a unique building that would stand out because of its form.

At first glance, the geometric forms of the buildings seem to be nothing more than an aesthetic design choice. However, upon further research, it becomes clear that lots of thought was put into the symbolism of everything from the circular chapel to the direction of the bell tower. This makes sense considering the 30 years Marek Stepan spent working on the design of this building.

Another thing that stands out about the systems in this building is their simplicity. Especially considering the size of the main chapel, we would have expected a much more complex system.

However, because of the way that these systems and the design work together, the architects could get away with very simple passive and mechanical circulation.

As we suspected, there would be have to a unique approach to structure to accommodate the 360 degree windows and the massive domed roof. The engineers and architects clearly worked closely together, as design and structural elements often had to occupy the same space. One example of this is how the mullions between the panes of the window had to double as structural columns to support the roof. There were also moments where the structural system had to transition between concrete and steel, which required special attention to detail by the engineers. Finally, because of the sheer size of the chapel’s domed roof, the structural engineers had to choose a heavy steel truss system that could handle the span. Because these elements have a heavy gravity load, they ended up informing the structural design of all lower elements.

08: REFERENCES WORK CITED

IMAGE CREDITS

Luco, Andreas. “Church of Beatified Restituta / Atelier Stepan.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, September 15, 2020.

Cover Shokan, Jakub, and Martin Tuma. Night View. 2019. Boys Play Nice. http://www.atelier-stepan.cz/

https://www.archdaily.com/947598/church-of-beatified-restituta-atelier-stepan.

en/#project-38-sec 1.1 Shokan, Jakub, and Martin Tuma. Front Lawn. 2019. Boys Play Nice. http://www.atelier-stepan.cz/

Stepan, Marek Jan. “Church of Beatified Restitute .” Atelier Stepan. Accessed December 4, 2020. http://

en/#project-38-sec

www.atelier-stepan.cz/en/projects/.

1.2 Stepan, Marek. Concept Sketches . 2019. Atelier Stepan . http://www.atelier-stepan.cz/en/#project-38sec.

Skokan, Jakub, and Martin Tuma. BOYSPLAYNICE Photography & Concept. Accessed December 4,

1.3 Stepan, Marek. Construction Photo . 2019. Atelier Stepan . http://www.atelier-stepan.cz/en/#project-38-

2020. http://www.boysplaynice.com/.

sec 1.4 Shokan, Jakub, and Martin Tuma. View of Balconies. 2019. Boys Play Nice. http://www.atelier-stepan. cz/en/#project-38-sec 1.5 “Brno-Lesna CZ.” Map. Google Maps. Google, 3 Dec, 2020. Web. 3 Dec, 2020.

1.6 Shokan, Jakub, and Martin Tuma. Upper Catwalk. 2019. Boys Play Nice. http://www.boysplaynice.com/ atelier-stepan-kostel-bl-restituty.

09: POSTER VENTILATION+SKIN 2

CIRCULATION+STRUCTURE

PROGRAM+EGRESS+SKIN 2

DIAGRAM OVERLAYS