CHURCH OF VIRGIN MARY GOOD ADVICE

Proposal  •  Principal architect Jan Kurz  •  Novohradské Mountains

It used to be a place of pilgrimage and a dominant checkpoint visible from afar. Today, hidden behind the thick leaves of a maple alley, it humbly begs for restoration. It again attracts believers and non-believers alike. The lost church had to go through its whole story so that we could begin to respect it again. There would never be so much writing and talking about a church that simply survived for several decades and was then dusted off again thanks to reconstruction of the truss and plaster. The pace of the landscape and places is different from ours - human´s. It is often incomprehensible, unmeasurable and, most importantly, unpredictable by us. If we restore it to its original form, we will erase the story of recent times - a story we must not forget. Many other chapels and churches sail unchanged in time and space. However, ours longs to remain a reminder of times long gone, as well as present and even future times. It longs to be a celebration of the craft and a reflection of his home. Therefore, the design of the construction is classic, made of solid elements that are not glued. The respective elements are of such dimensions that they can be manipulated by one person. Moreover they are also the most affordable.

The church longs to be seen, it longs to be modest yet generous at the same time. These basic preconditions form the final concept. The church has two ridges representing two nations united by a common faith. From the outside, the roof looks enclosed, however inside we find a light entering through a narrow gap between the two ridges. The gap receives the first and last rays of the sun, it receives them the first and last of the whole village. The truss stands out thanks to the lime-painted beating. It visually enhances the entire space. The construction system uses the principle of a ring system, where the rings are, in our case, formed by inch boards of various lengths and connected as needed by a threaded rod. There are wooden block tiles on the ground, which might surprise you at first moment, yet its meaning is simple. It will reflect shoe prints a little faster than stone paving, and in a few decades we will be able to read in it like if it was an open book. Also the wooden tiles are warm, quiet and soothing. The purpose of the design is not to be indifferent and hard, but friendly and open. One of the main elements of the concept is also the western gate. It will be open for the holidays and will always remind us that the church has been open to all without exception for many years.

Materials

Wood  •   Stone  •  Brick  •  Block paving 

All work © KURZ architects

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