Modern Churches - The Basilica of St. Pius X, Lourdes, France

The Basilica of St. Pius X, Lourdes, France

Contemporary Churches - The Basilica of  St. Pius X.

Lourdes is one of the most visited places in Catholic Christendom. It was at Lourdes where the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl, Bernadette Soubourious, in the mid-19th century. After authentication of these appearances, Lourdes became a place of Catholic Pilgrimage and healing. The Basilica of St. Pius X, known as the Underground Basilica, is a large Roman Catholic Church and Minor Basilica, located in the town of Lourdes, France. It is part of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Architect Pierre Vago designed the underground Basilica; it spreads out underground between St. Michael's Gate and the Crowned Statue. It is in the form of an upturned ship, and surrounded by a walkway.

The Basilica of St. Pius X, Lourdes

Angelo Cardinal Roncalli consecrated The Basilica of St. Pius X on 25th of March 1958. The Underground Basilica of St. Pius X was built to hold the thousands who come for larger celebrations and feast days. There is almost no natural light inside; the concrete of its construction has been left bare making it uninteresting for the tourists.  Although the ornamentation of the Basilica is dry, it is enhanced with the addition of 39 images of saints and martyrs from all over the world.

St. Pius X Underground Basilica

The walls are decorated with Stations of the Cross, a depiction of the Rosary, and a depiction of the Apparitions, making a total of 52 images, all in the local Gemmail style of overlapping stained glass. A short biography of each saint is placed on the pillar next to the image. Oval nave of The Underground Basilica of St. Pius X covers an area of 12,000 m² (191m long and 61m wide) having seating capacity of 25,000.

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Unique Churches - The San Josemaría Escrivá Church, Mexico

The San Josemaría Escrivá Church, Mexico

Contemporary Churches -  The San Josemaría Escrivá Church, Mexico

The San Josemaría Escrivá Church is a astonishing illustration of Modern Church Architecture. The plot of land has an irregular shape with an area of 5,200 Square Meter. It offers contemporary materials, forms and technologies, while holding on to the fundamental principles of Christian Architecture. Positioned on the west side of Mexico City, this is San Josemaría Escrivá Church designed by Javier Sordo Madaleno Bringas Architects. The building is dedicated to Josémaria Escrivá Balaguer. Despite its contemporary appearance, the building is loaded with religious symbolism. The architects began developing the architectural concept with geometrical strokes and enrolling in the repetition of the 7 golden rectangle, (two curves referring to the Christian Fish symbol) and then raised these curves with straight lines to a diagonal in the rectangle forming the cross of light. Three connected buildings, the first one, compose the project of this community center and the largest, 752.37 Square Meter, is the Catholic Temple, that holds 400 seating capacity, The interior height of the temple, is 17m and 25m from outside.

The San Josemaría Escrivá Church

The second building is the residencies for the priests that serve the church and the third and last building is a residency for the staff. The narrow windows allow the light to invade the interior space in a controlled manner, so that it appears to cut through the darkness. Moreover, the main crucifix is positioned in a way that Jesus appears to be the cornerstone stabilizing the whole construct. Finally, the building points to the sky signifying a spiritual elevation.