Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware and Religious Architecture

Sacred and religious buildings, places of worship, prayer and meditation: magnificent constructions that have survived through the centuries so we might admire them in all their splendour.

Imposing, mysterious architectural creations that speak to us through the language of symbols, numbers and metaphors that permeates religious architecture and geometries. These sacred buildings have been a frequent subject of in-depth study.

This secret relationship between numbers, and the harmony governing the creation of shapes is expressed in all its virtuoso splendour through the use of Euclidean shapes. Circles, triangles and squares, golden ratios, proportions in perfect harmony shape exquisite architectural creations in which the present engages continually with both past and future.

Sacred architecture is perhaps one of the most complex forms of art, requiring an ability to engage with the purity of those profoundly symbolic forms and volumes and the repetitive patterns they form. These are shapes able to commune with the very essence of humankind.

Bambreg Thomas - New Apostolic Church of Kornwestheim (Germany)

Designed by the architect Thomas Bamberg, the New Apostolic Church of Kornwestheim is built on the base of the original construction, between the railway station, a large industrial area and the residential area behind it.

The project is composed of simple shapes. Solemn and silent, a major focus of this austere building is the illumination, both day and night. With this in mind, glass skylights have been positioned at either side of the altar. The coloured inserts added to the windows on the south side shine in from the outside, and if the church is lit up in the evening, from the inside out. Located on the west side of the building are the cloakroom, the sacristy and the multi-purpose rooms, while the foyer links this multi-functional area to the church itself. From this entrance area, where the foundation stone of the building can be seen below a glass panel on the floor, the geometric layout of the floor marks off the common areas and leads into the place of worship. At the back of the church is a raised altar.

The plain colour of the tiles selected for the flooring throughout the building - the Mineral Chrom Grey collection, in the 30x60 cm size - is consistent with the style of the whole construction. Together with the linear shapes, the pure white of the walls and ceiling and the warm wood of the furnishings, it creates a restrained, balanced atmosphere conducive to reflection.

Photos: Bamberg Architektur