an EMPIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A Youthful Place of Worship for All
Type Comissioned Project
client Montado do Freixo do Meio
colaborations Arch. Vasco Horta and Fábio Simões
size 36 m²
location Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal
status Awaiting Construction
The cult of the Holy Spirit is a catholic sub-culture associated with values of egalitarianism and the worship of childhood's wisdom and purity. Children are the future of the World - it is out of the question. This assumption is even a greater hard-felt reality in Herdade do Freixo do Meio, where an internationally famous bio-intensive eco-agriculture project tries to fight climate-change driven desertification.
Within the values of sustainability, in this place, community and social tolerance, integration and cohesion never come second. This is the primary motive why this "empire" (where everyone is a crowned emperor) was designed to be placed in the heart of the social areas of the farmstead.
We were henceforth comissioned by Zootechnical Eng. Alfredo Cunhal Sendim to design this empire as an ecumenic spiritual gathering building for this very special place - in order to bring to life a place where the most sacred/fundamental aspects of their mission could be symbolised and shared.
Designed as a centripetal space in open relationship with its surroundings, it is simultaneously a building in adequacy for both the most trivial relaxation and the most solemn ceremony, designed to invite a contemplative and peaceful state of being regardless of religion or any ideology other than the respect and praise for Life, Self, Humanity and the intercontedness of all things.
Within the values of sustainability, in this place, community and social tolerance, integration and cohesion never come second. This is the primary motive why this "empire" (where everyone is a crowned emperor) was designed to be placed in the heart of the social areas of the farmstead.
We were henceforth comissioned by Zootechnical Eng. Alfredo Cunhal Sendim to design this empire as an ecumenic spiritual gathering building for this very special place - in order to bring to life a place where the most sacred/fundamental aspects of their mission could be symbolised and shared.
Designed as a centripetal space in open relationship with its surroundings, it is simultaneously a building in adequacy for both the most trivial relaxation and the most solemn ceremony, designed to invite a contemplative and peaceful state of being regardless of religion or any ideology other than the respect and praise for Life, Self, Humanity and the intercontedness of all things.
Aeriel View of the pitched roof composition, the central skylight over the altar illuminates this concentric central symbolic element. The walter was designed to receive the mais elements of life in the montado - the acorn nut which is the foundation seed of all the surrounding oak forest ecosystems and the rain water which falls on the skyligt. These oaknuts are the symbol of the regenerative, sustainable and integral development values this agriculture enterprise and community relies on, and thereby were chosen as main contemplative motive for the altar.
Execution Project
The Construction Design Project was carried by Fábio Simões and Vasco Horta to whom was delegated the task of attending to the adjustments required by Montado do Freixo do Meio to the original idea I previously presented. The octogonal foundation shape was replaced by the hexagonal and ornamental details were added within a peace reference through the dove symbology.
