Sacred Modernity

Beschreibung

• Europe’s post-war sacred spaces • Still controversial, whilst revisited by contemporary architects, designers and scholars • Over 50 awe-inspiring modernist churches in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and England
Sacred Modernity documents the dramatic shift in ecclesiastical architecture across post-war Europe. Spurred on by the modernizing impulses of the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, and in search for an appropriate architectural language that showed that the Catholic Church was still relevant to the modern world, this was the period when the church married the atheist architect, and bore a child of pure form. Among these structures, some exude a joyful antagonism, while others emanate a cold minimalism. Boldly designed, outrageous and provocative for their time, the aesthetic of this period still ignites great debate between modernists and traditionalists. Half a century on, this study traces how their materials and ideals have matured and patinated. Remaining amongst the most unique buildings within our public sphere, they are future visions from the near past that seem to anticipate societies current shift away from organized religion towards an individual spirituality. The book represents the first attempt by a photographer to collate the religious architecture of the mid-century high modern years that took many forms, from Brutalism to Structural Expressionism, under a singular artistic vision.

Autor*in

Jamie McGregor Smith

Themen in »Sacred Modernity«

Religion Sakralität Moderne Beton Glas Carlo Scarpa Gottfried Böhm Sep Ruf Dominikus Böhm Rudolf Schwarz Mario Botta Josef Lackner Gio Ponti Günter Domenig Alvar Aalto

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»Whatever the flavour of your religious persuasion, an impressive interior will have the power to inspire awe. That’s certainly the case for these architectural wonders, some little known and rarely visited.«
Jonathan Bell ()

»The new language of sanctity is diverse and at times surprising. (...) Regardless of their architectural language, these are spaces that inspire contemplation, meditation, and introspection.«
Maria-Cristina Florian ()

»(...) unlike anything you’ve seen before – A new book by photographer Jamie McGregor Smith highlights the important role that architecture played in the Catholic Church’s mission to bring people back after WWII«
Elissaveta M. Brandon ()

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