israel lopez balan visualizes a church without god in new york city

israel lopez balan visualizes a church without god in new york city
all images courtesy of israel lopez balan

‘a church without god’ is a project by mexican architect israel lopez balan that envisions a series of juxtaposing images within new york city. opposing qualities are explored through visualizations of desolation and progress, death and continuation, noise and silence, nature and culture. the word ‘precept’ has been used a key element to suggest processes experienced by people in time, as well as to question the meaning of existence and established civilizations.

‘here, the concept of a ‘church’ not only represents religion and its traces in space with human thinking and behavior, but also includes all things visible and invisible that are forgotten, gradually declining and dying, and things disappearing that shape our subjectivity and consciousness.’ says israel lopez balan.

plan 1807 A.D.

the work refers to human thought and experience as similar to ruins, more than a spatial expression of the past such as a run down building, and instead focuses on the events and cultural phenomena that have taken place.

‘ruins co-exist with the contemporary new civilization and have a special appeal with regard to the temporal process. by placing them beside progress, we are seeing innovation and development in terms of death and decline, and vice versa’ says israel lopez balan.

interior view 2001 A.D.

section 3014 A.D.

aerial view 4014 A.D.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.