elisa valero's concrete church in southern spain references ancient christian temples

on spain’s southern coast, architect elisa valero has completed a simple concrete church amid the trees of a verdant garden. situated south of andalucia’s sierra nevada mountain range, on the alboran sea, the project is defined by a slender tower that emerges from the cuboid church building below. rather than try to do anything too experimental, the architect instead chose to reference ancient christian temples and their use of natural light and tactile materiality.

all images by fernando alda

in developing the church’s interior, elisa valero worked with natural radiance to symbolically address the theme of the holy trinity. three overhead openings welcome light inside the monolithic edifice: a hidden skylight facing east, which indirectly illuminates the altar; another that creates the from of a cross during sunset; and a third to the south, which brings light into the central nave.

the simple concrete church is set amid the trees of a verdant garden

the church’s restrained appearance was further influenced by the site’s specific conditions, which dictated that the building (apart from its bell tower) must not exceed a total height of eight meters. the vertical structure is made of double-sided reinforced concrete walls, while the foundations and slabs use ‘elesdopa’ — a double-wall system that offers a high level of thermal insulation. the choice of concrete also has a symbolic value, with the exposed structure seeking to convey a sense of sincerity and sobriety.

the project is defined by a slender tower that emerges from the cuboid church building

the architect chose to reference ancient christian temples and their use of natural light

a hidden skylight indirectly illuminates the altar

an elongated aperture to the south throws light onto the central nave

the exposed concrete structure seeks to convey a sense of sincerity and sobriety

the building’s restrained appearance is further influenced by the site’s specific conditions

the church is situated south of andalucia’s sierra nevada mountain range

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