Location: Calle David Fuentes 379, El Arenal, Talcahuano. Chile Engineering: Juan Marcus Construction: Miguel Figueroa Photography: Francisco Valdés Donoso
Due to the 27th of February 2010 earthquake, the 50% of the catholic churches suffered serious damages and a high percentage of the catholic chapel in the VI/VII/VIII Region of Chile were completely destroyed. A million of believers could not celebrate the Sunday mass as usual.
Before losing their church, Talcahuano community celebrated their holy masses, baptisms and funerals in the main square and its streets. Considering all these previous conditions, the Talcahuano priest, Father Miguel Almeida, asked requested us an architectonic project for the church to collect the money for its construction.
For these Talcahuano inhabitants, scared by the earthquake and the tsunami, their church was a priority and an emergency. How to realize this dream and build a new church, fulfilling all the necessary functions of the community and with no money at all?
The first architectonical concept was the intention to work with “nudity”, working with concrete which permitted us to solve the seismic issue as well as hosting the church program. A simple rectangle with a homogeneous outside skin. A light cube with a totally white interior to feel the necessary atmosphere. A wooden ceiling with a peculiar configuration to reach a perfect acoustic.
Another key aspect, requested by the priest, was that the project could open itself to the surrounding public space. For this reason the cube, with a translucid opening, relates the patio with the main interior space of the church to integrate the two spaces in case of a great number of believers.
