Churches in Poland are a river topic. New churches are built every year, and controversy sometimes swirls around them. Believers (and "non-believers") vigorously discuss their architecture, location, workmanship. After all, a church is not only a place of prayer, but also a community-building organization.
On Facebook you can find a ridiculous page called "Churches that pretend to be churches." It's a little funny, and a little not. Mainly because it shows the trend in which churches are built, especially in Poland. It is known that the context of the site is important, which, among other things, is shown by the design of the 89° studio. Their proposal refers to the architecture of the traditional houses of the people of Rwanda - domes made of locally available materials. If this is the case, what then does our context of place say about us?
The design for the church in Rwanda was created for a competition organized by the Young Architects Competition and made it to the finals. Although the prize went to another studio, the concept of Studio 89° cannot be passed by indifferently.
The architects' main goal was to create a small temple in the village of Rukomo for the local community. Residents of the country experienced by wars, all the more needed a place where they can meet, create a community. So the architects divided the block into two parts: the sacred and the profane.
Renderings of the church
© 89 Degrees
The first is for prayer. It can only be accessed through corridors specially created for this purpose. The second is a meeting space where local life can take place. It has the character of a public, semi-open square. The chapel may bring to mind a giant beehive where all the faithful gather. The arcade, which forms the covered semicircle of the building, offers shelter from the heat.
Architects from the 89° studio planned the building so that its construction is fully possible with materials available in Rwanda, using traditional methods. The main building block is therefore brick. The church could be built by the hands of local residents, which would only help strengthen community ties.
