PONTIFICAL AND ROYAL 

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

ARC1120 AD4

Assignment no.1:
CHURCH DESIGNS RESEARCH

Submitted by:
Bautista, Janika Moira M.
Tolentino, Jerome

2AR-6

Submitted to:

Ar. Leah Martin

Submitted on:
January 25, 2021
LOCAL CHURCHES
1. Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod, Cebu City
Architect: ​Carlos Arnaiz

Short Description:

Designed and developed by Carlos Arnaiz and his firm from New York, CAZA, this
chapel turns the heads of many with its modern structure and unique architectural design. This
amazing chapel is located at the SM Seaside Complex in Cebu city. This was made in the
memory of the Catholic Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod. The architect deconstructed the
traditional silhouette of churches ​(Alcazaren, 2018). It contains 100 walls of different heights
and widths, casting shadows throughout the structure. All 100 walls are elevated in the same
direction, making the church opaque on one side and transparent view on the other side,
representing two states of life which are the dark and the light (Melo Villareal, 2014). The
central space of the chapel can accommodate about 800 people. The finish of the church is faux
Mactan stone, faux was used since the team realized that quarrying would compromise the
environment. The chapel is that type of place people would visit repeatedly; every visit can be
different depending where you sit, walk, stand or kneel for worship. According to Arnaiz, the
chapel embodies modern faith and spirituality without limiting constraints.
 2. Magallanes Church
Architect/s: Dominic Galicia , Leandro Locsin

The Parish Church of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, otherwise known as Magallanes Church,
is located along EDSA and Osmeña Highway/South Luzon Expressway. It was initially
designed by Ar. Leandro Locsin was burnt down from a huge fire in September 2004. The
church was then rebuilt through Dominic Galicia’s design using the remnants of the old church
as its foundation. Initially, the church was designed to be intimate thus a low ceiling and a dark
interior. However, for the rebuilt church, its design consists of 13 roof vaults (representing Jesus
and the 12 Apostles) that ascends to the 7th roof vault before descending in parallel heights.
Because of the windows along the roof vaults, the interior of the church is a lot brighter as
opposed to the initial intimate design.
 3. Christ the King Parish

Architect: Angel B. Abad

The Christ the King Chapel designed by parishioner architect Angel B. Abad. It is located in
Greenmeadows, Quezon City and despite being 33 years old, the Church holds its unique modern
design that consists of a low roofline from the front and sides at 25 feet that ascends to 75 feet
the middle rear of the church. Interestingly, the church’s roof was designed without any interior
beams, columns or posts that will block the view.The whole structure is supported by 2 diagonal
beams, allowing an unobstructed view of the top of the church from all directions. Additionally,
the church consists of glass walls that fit into its modern design. The church can also
accommodate 1,200 parishioners at one time.
FOREIGN CHURCHES

1. Sacré-Cœur, Paris
Architect/s: Ar. Paul Abadie, ​five architects continued with the work: Honoré Daumet
(1884–1886), Jean-Charles Laisné (1886–1891), Henri-Pierre-Marie Rauline
(1891–1904), Lucien Magne (1904–1916), and Jean-Louis Hulot (1916–1924).

This Basilica is one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks in Paris. It is located
at the top of the hill of Montmartre, one of the highest points in the city. This was initially
designed by Ar. Paul Abadie but was continued by 5 other architects after his passing. It was
built in 1914, showcasing byzantine architecture. The structure exhibits a striking dome and 2
cupolas by its side. The exterior finish uses a “self-cleaning” stone as it has high levels of calcite
(Molli, 2019). The interior, also in byzantine style, has a peaceful and harmonious ambiance.
Found inside it the largest mosaic in France, designed by Luc-Olivier Merson in 1922. It
decorates the ceiling above the altar, representing the risen Jesus Christ. The mosaic is 480m2
large, and also includes images of Joan of Arc, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Michael, also three
other saints that are said to be protectors of France.
 2. Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, Arizona

Architect/s: Richard Hein and August K. Strotz

This chapel is located on the top of red rocks in Sedona, Arizona. The design was
inspired by sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude. The architecture relies heavily on the
symbolic rock as it’s foundation and the great stretch of the nature view. The modern chapel’s
unique angles and shape, and stained glass windows is what makes it stand out from its
surrounding rock formations.The giant cross seen in the facade greatly supports the structure is
a notable feature of the church, showing the great ties of this structure to its Catholic faith.
 3. Hallgrímskirkja
Architect: Guðjón Samúelsson

Located in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, the Hallgrímskirkja Church is the main church
of this city. Its name consists of the words “Hallgrímur” and “kirkja” where Kirkja translates to
“church” which leads to Hallgrímskirkja translating to “Church of Hallgrimur”. It stands at 73
meters tall making it the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest in the country. It is
designed by Guðjón Samúelsson and is inspired from Icelandic Nature. Inside is a simple yet
elegant design, having stained glass at the sides to allow light to pass through.
SHORT ESSAY

BAUTISTA, Janika Moira M.

In this assignment, we were tasked to research about church designs, local and
international churches. As I was selecting church structures to research on, I came into conflict
on which I would select since there are a bunch to choose from. Many of the structures I came
across had their own atmosphere, character, and personality but all never failed to give tribute to
their faith through design. In the process of my half in this activity, I noticed similarities of the
structures such as the grand heights of the facade and high ceilings for the interior, regardless of
the style there will always be similar components churches will have to each other. The
architectural style of churches have characteristics that give them a recognizable look but each
church has their own ambience making them unique on its own. Lastly, I really enjoyed the
research process of the activity as I came upon beautiful churches I’ve never seen before.

TOLENTINO, Jerome

Based on the different churches i have come across in this research, we have a lot of
freedom in designing churches as long as it sticks to its function of being a religious structure. I
also noticed that while each church has its own unique design, they all have high ceilings and are
designed to bring emphasis on the altar and statue at the end. Overall, I find it interesting how
these churches were designed as well as how they came to be.
REFERENCES

Aguilar, K. (2016, November 7). The Iconic Church At Magallanes Village | The Urban
Roamer. Retrieved January 25, 2021, from The Urban Roamer website:
https://www.theurbanroamer.com/magallanes-church/

​Alcazaren, P. (2018, June 21). A hundred walls for worship in Cebu by CAZA - BluPrint.
Retrieved January 22, 2021, from BluPrint website:
https://bluprint.onemega.com/caza-church-hundred-walls/

Architecture. (2021). Retrieved January 22, 2021, from Sacre-coeur-montmartre.com website:

Christ The King Parish. (2021). Main Church | Christ the King Parish Church Greenmeadows
Quezon City Philippines. Retrieved January 25, 2021, from Christthekingparish.ph
website: ​https://christthekingparish.ph/main-church/

Johanna. (2018, December 24). Reykjavik Sightseeing: Hallgrímskirkja Church | I am

Melo Villareal. (2014, January 27). The Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu. Retrieved
January 22, 2021, from Out of Town Blog website:
https://outoftownblog.com/chapel-san-pedro-calungsod/

​Molli. (2019, May 2). Top 10 Beautiful Things to Find Within Sacre Coeur. Retrieved January
22, 2021, from Discover Walks Blog website:
https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/top10/10-beautiful-things-to-find-within-sacre-coeur

Sveiven, M. (2011, April 27). AD Classics: Chapel of the Holy Cross / Richard Hein.
Retrieved January 22, 2021, from ArchDaily website:
https://www.archdaily.com/131125/ad-classics-chapel-of-the-holy-cross-richard-hein