Church of the Unknown Saint
Pašilaičiai, Vilnius, 2006
The temple is designed thinking about the history of Vilnius Gediminas times, the view of the city with shelves of the temples of various religions, various faiths, which mediated impressively, and “massacre of St. Bartholomew” keeping to pace.
The attempts are made to organically insert the designed ensemble into the present plastic of Soviet modernism – formalism architecture so that it could become the dominant centre in the catchment area. The aim is to create an intent, clean space with a clear accent. The scale of the church which is in quest is notionally and volumetrically adequate when evaluating the context of large sizes. In the environment of the catchment area, there predominate the nine-floor block of flats of the 1931 and several 16-floor coarse-board blocks of flats. The anticipated height of the church is 34 m. With its content and scale the church would become the dominant in a common context of place, too.
The new spiritual-cultural centre would be clearly visible from the north of Medeina, south-west from Justiniškės street and south-east from Laisvė avenue, and in the south from the planned way-round in northern Vilnius.
With reference to the oval structure of the district upholstering, the churchyard is designed in oval shape. The association of Lithuanian Easter symbolism is coded.
The church is designed in the regular cross square plan as a reference to the non-split beginning and older cross signs of meeting. The plan is developed into the space and shapes the bulk of cube. There are four clear pillories-chandeliers in its corners. Pillories hold a glass drum. Its construction, not as usually, creates a concave spatial dome, through which main flow of light gets into the building. Its constructional framework draws an impressive sun drawing. This is how it is approached towards a unique Lithuanian Sun, but in this case, the sign is not on the towers, as in traditional approach, but the dome itself becomes a lucent sign. Thinking about art history and drawn illusive celestial spheres in churches, in the new building, using the technical possibilities of the time, one is invited for a new rethinking of belief and reality.
The facades of the church are created with four abstracted archetypical two-tower facade icons. All the 4 facades are of equal importance, there isn’t a “bad” one. The building is treated as concentric and not as finishing a certain axis.
Oval territory is symmetrically upholstered according to the longitudinal northern east south-west axis. That axis connects the place of the water and the church, the parish house with rectory and parish garden. Symmetrically to this axis there rise two stairs from the north-east and north-vest. The composition of the spaces makes a strong impression when coming closer from the edge to the centre.
The churchyard is covered with white small concrete fence which also functions as a bench.
Materiality. Both the inside and outside wall are plastered with rough plaster which emphasizes the facture of stones and they are painted white. The four towers of the church – pillories are surrounded by the tracery of stainless steel pillars (d-17cm nickel-plated tubes, which emphasize the vertical direction, are strung onto the metal rope), through which an indirect light comes into the building; during the night – an unnatural light (the symbol of illuminator in the dark) comes out of the building. The clarity gives lightness through the corners of the building, and in the perspective of the vertical – the impression of rising up.
In the interior, around the table, the pews and balconies are location in a circle and the suspended chandeliers form the well of light. The gamma of white color, which is obtained through the factures, is predominant in the interior. The cover of the floor is polished white stone. Inner wall are plastered with the same white plaster as the outside ones. Main gate, pews and the altar are made of bleached oak array.
Functional zoning. Main gate – portal – great hall – altar – choir. From the great hall there is an entrance into the chapels that are present symmetrically from the right and left sides of the altar. There is also an entry to the vestry (with a separate exit outside) and an entry to a private landing – lift (with a separate exit outside). There is a vertical connection with the basement chapels (the main entrance is by the stairs from the outside); sanitary unit and technical premises; the balcony in the second level; exploited roof with survey fields in the third level and the third chapel, and technical unit. Bells (carillons) are hanged from the 4 sides, in openwork facades holes.
Construction. Main booster constructions are formed from ferroconcrete monolith framework. On purpose of creating a concave dome space, a strained funicular metal construction is used (specular steel surface) and clear glass.
Technical specifications:
Church
Total constructional size – 17.400 m3;
Total space – 790 m2;
Number of seats – 400.
Parish house and rectory:
Total constructional size – 5.050 m3;
Total space – 740 m2;
Size of the site upholstering – 1850m2; density – 0.24 ; intensity – 1,2.
Vehicle parking places – 117.
Architect: Mantas Maziliauskas
Private contest
Client: JSC “Vilniaus archivyskupija”