+2007 Ourense - Arquitectura religiosa contemporánea en Galicia - 15 obras

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Se presentan aqu quince obras de arquitectura religiosa que comparten una ca-racterstica comn: todas han sido construidas durante el siglo XX en Galicia.

El siglo XX ha sufrido dos revoluciones que afectaron directamente a laarquitectura religiosa: el Movimiento Moderno y el Movimiento Litrgico. El

primero tiene que ver con la arquitectura, o lo que es lo mismo, con la envol-vente de los edificios; y el segundo con el culto, es decir, con la vida que sedesarrolla dentro de ellos.

Estas dos revoluciones, al plantear sendas peticiones de principio, alteraronsignificativamente la lnea continua que vena guiando la forma de construiriglesias hasta el momento, introducindolas en una suerte de vorgine revisio-nista de la que todava no se han podido sustraer. Esa es la razn por la quelos edificios que aqu se muestran aparecen tan dispares. Tanto, que algunosno seran reconocibles como iglesias si no hubiese una cruz que los significasecomo tales.

La revolucin arquitectnica afect no slo al lenguaje artstico, sino aalgo mucho ms profundo: los valores que la arquitectura refleja. As, alrede-

dor de 1930, los conceptos de trascendencia, dignidad o calidad, intrnsecosa la arquitectura religiosa, se vieron trastocados por una alusin abstracta alespritu de los tiempos, que impondra una arquitectura econmica, sincera ydesmontable. Lo que slo era una idea antes de las grandes guerras, se convir-ti en una necesidad despus de ellas.

Por su parte, la revolucin programtica lleg desde la revisin purista dela liturgia de la Iglesia. La reforma paulatina de los usos cultuales se volviradical aprovechando la convocatoria del Concilio Vaticano II. Durante losaos siguientes, ni los clrigos, ni mucho menos los arquitectos, saban cmohacer iglesias nuevas: hubo que inventarlas, algo que nunca haba ocurridoanteriormente.

Las iglesias son espacios especialmente sensibles que acusan cualquier

mnimo movimiento cultural. La fragilidad de su aspecto, debido a su sutilsi-mo programa, contrasta con la fortaleza que les confiere su milenaria historia.Sismgrafos de las vicisitudes del alma humana, estos espacios emocionantesnos permiten revisitar un siglo convulso, as como constatar la maravillosa ca-

pacidad de adaptacin de la fe cristiana al discur rir de los tiempos. La formaspueden cambiar, pero la esencia de la iglesia permanece inmutable: una salaDPSOLD\DUUHJODGDGRQGHSRGHUFHOHEUDUODFHQDSDVFXDO&I/F

Fifteen works of religious architecture are presentedhere with a joint characteristic: all of them were built inGalicia during the 20th century.Two revolutions with a direct impact on religiousarchitecture occurred during the 20th century: the

Modern Movement and the Liturgical Movement. Theformer is related to architecture or rather, with thecladding of buildings; the latter is related to the cult,i.e., with the life going on inside them.

Both revolutions entailed their respective principlerequests and they significantly altered the straightline which had directed the way in which churcheshad been built so far. They caused some sort ofrevisionist maelstrom which still affects it. Thatis the reason why the buildings shown here look

so different. Actually, some of them would not berecognised as churches if it was not for the crossidentifying them as such.The architectural revolution impacted not only theartistic language, but also something deeper: thevalues portrayed in architecture. Around 1930,

concepts such as transcendence, dignity or quality,inherent to religious architecture, were altered byan abstract allusion to the spirit of times whichwould impose an economic, sincere and removablearchitecture. What was just an idea before the twoGreat Wars became a need after them.On the other hand, the programme revolutionoccurred from a purist review of the Church liturgy.The gradual reform of worship uses turned a radicalone, making the most of the II Vatican Council call.

In following years, neither clerics nor architectsknew how to build new churches at all: they had tobe invented, which had never happened before.Churches are particularly sensitive spaces which

suffer from any slight cultural movement. Thefragility of their appearance, due to their very subtle

programme, contrasts with the strength provided byits millenary history. These thrilling spaces are theseismographers of human condition and allow usto revisit a convulsed century, also witnessing thewonderful adaptation capacity of Christian faithto the passing of time. Shapes may change, but theessence of a church remains unchanged: a wide andwell-appointed hall where the Easter supper can becelebrated (Cf. Lk 22, 12).

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Daniel Vzquez-Gulas ha sido un arquitecto poco frecuentado por la

crtica, acaso injustamente. Tras un inicio profesional fulgurante viajespor Europa y China, primeros premios en los concursos para el Gran HotelGHO%DOQHDULRGHOD7RMD\HO&HQWUR*DOOHJRHQ/D+DEDQD

su actividad se centr en la ciudad de Ourense. En esta pequea capital deprovincia proyectar un edificio verdaderamente singular: el Patronato delSanto ngel, una iniciativa benfica, destinada a impartir formacin humana,cristiana y profesional a nias hurfanas en rgimen de internado, que estaba

promovida por la seora ngela Santamarina de Temes, ms conocida como$QJHOLWD9DUHOD

La obra, concebida como un recinto amurallado, se nutre de diversasinfluencias, que van desde el neomedievalismo francs al plateresco espaol.Para la ornamentacin, que en cada edificio es diferente, el arquitecto eligi

motivos vegetales locales, evitando cualquier decoracin extica, como solanhacer los neomedievalistas, aunque tambin introdujo motivos profanos deintenso lirismo en las vidrieras, muy del gusto de los prerrafaelitas.

En 1917 se comenz a construir la iglesia, que debera acoger las se-pulturas de los benefactores. La capilla es soberbia, y est magnf icamenteejecutada. Consta de una sola nave, cubierta por cuatro bvedas de crucerade clave ornamentada que se apoyan sobre haces de columnas, reforzados alexterior por seis contrafuertes. En el interior, alberga el sepulcro de Dolores6DQWDPDULQDREUDGH)UDQFLVFR$VRUp\\ODVHSXOWXUDGH)UDQFLVFRGH

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Vzquez-Gulas est considerado como el ms interesante de los arquitec-tos gallegos que construyeron iglesias entre 1890 y 1930. Su alejamiento tanto

de la ortodoxia neogtica como del modernismo al uso, se puede comprobaren los diversos panteones funerarios que realiz en el cementerio de Ourense.Poco despus, el mismo arquitecto pondr el punto y final a la arquitecturaeclctica en Galicia con la iglesia parroquial de Santa Mara de Amarante0DVLGH2XUHQVH

Daniel Vzquez-Gulas has been an architect not

so often reviewed by critics, maybe unfairly. Aftera dazzling start of his career travelling throughEurope and China, winning the first prize of thecontest for the Grand Spa Hotel of A Toxa (1899)and the Galician Centre of La Habana (1917),his activity focused on the city of Ourense. He

projected a really unique building at this smallprovince capital: the St. Angel Foundation, a charityboarding-school devoted to human, Christian and

professional training for orphaned girls promoted byMs. ngela Santamarina de Temes, also known asAngelita Varela (1864/1956).

The building was conceived as a walled precinctand it had several influences, ranging from French

Neo-Medievalism to Spanish Plateresque. Thedecoration differs from building to building.The architect chose local vegetable motives andavoided any exotic decorating, as it was usual in

Neo-Medieval works, though he also added someintensely lyrical profane motives on the stained-glasswindows, very much of the Pre-Raphaelite taste.

The church started to be built in 1917 with aview to hosting the sponsors tombs. The chapel is

splendid and wonderfully executed. It has one navecovered with four cross rib domes with ornamentedkeystone which are supported by bundles of columnsexternally reinforced by six buttresses. DoloresSantamarinas sepulchre is kept inside, made by

Francisco Asory (1922), as well as Francisco deTemess tomb, made by Francisco Amaya (1923).

Vzquez-Gulas is considered to be the mostinteresting Galician architect who built churchesbetween 1890 and 1930. He is detached both from

Neo-Gothic orthodoxy and the usual modernism,as can be seen in the various funerary pantheonshe made at Ourense cemetery. A few years later,the architect put an end to eclectic architecture inGalicia with the Saint Mary of Amarante parishchurch (Maside, Ourense, 1922/30).


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Antonio Palacios was one of the most important

Spanish architects in the 20th century. He was bornin O Porrio in 1878 and studied architecture inMadrid, where he built his most significant works. Inspite of his cosmopolitan vision, Palacios never lostcontact with Galicia, and his references turned localwhen regionalism became an architectural trend.

That regionalism is perfectly visible at the VotiveTemple of the Sea. The building was part of a moreambitious project including a boarding-school fororphans and other charity buildings. A Visigothicarch found on the spot served as an excuse to builda new crenelated temple, in the fashion of the oldGalician fortress-cathedrals.

Palacios used a language intending to be asynthesis of many things. On the one hand, it i s anelementary language using simple un-elaborated

materials, some found by chance, just like inrecycling processes. On the other hand, he intendsevery material to be what they are for bearingloads, lighting up, adding colour without violatingtheir nature, even achieving their highest expressionbased on that nature. His inclusive approach wasalmost nave or kitsch; however he managed toescape them thanks to his expressive power and his

professionalism as architect.Particular attention must be drawn to the

ribbed brick dome and the collection of mosaicssurrounding it.

The visual brightness of the church, its economyof means, its aesthetic closeness to common people,the possibility to integrate almost any type of image,the right treatment of light creating celebration and

private prayer spaces, or the apparent continuitywith the plan metric tradition, with some formalachievements take a look at the alternative naveintegrated by the entrance volume and the baptisteryapse guarantee the usefulness of a space which istimeless and may belong to any given time.

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Antonio Palacios fue uno de los arquitectos espaoles ms importantes

del siglo XX. Nacido en O Porrio en 1878, estudi arquitectura en Madrid,donde construira sus obras ms significativas. A pesar de su mentalidadcosmopolita, Palacios nunca perdi el contacto con Galicia, y en el momentoen que el regionalismo se convirti en moda arquitectnica, sus referencias sevolvieron locales.

Ese regionalismo se percibe muy bien en el Templo Votivo del Mar. Eledificio formaba parte de un proyecto ms ambicioso que inclua un internado

para hurfanos, y otros edificios asistenciales. Un arco visigtico que se en-contr en el lugar sirvi de excusa para construir un nuevo templo almenado,a la manera de las antiguas catedrales-fortaleza gallegas.

Palacios emplea un lenguaje que quiere ser una sntesis de muchas cosas.Por una parte, es un lenguaje elemental, que utiliza materiales sencillos, sin

elaborar, encontrados al azar, dentro de la dinmica del reciclaje. Por otra,intenta que cada material sirva para lo que es soportar cargas, iluminar,aportar color sin violentar su naturaleza, es ms, consiguiendo la mximaexpresin partiendo, precisamente, de esa naturaleza. Una actitud inclusivaque bordea lo naf y lo kitsch, esquivndolos gracias a su potencia expresiva yal oficio como constructor.

Particular atencin merecen la cpula nervada de ladrillo y la coleccin demosaicos que se encuentran a su alrededor.

La brillantez visual de la iglesia, su economa de medios, su cercana est-tica con las gentes sencillas, la posibilidad de incorporar en ella casi cualquiertipo de imagen, lo adecuado del tratamiento de la luz que crea mbitos decelebracin y de plegaria personal, o la aparente continuidad con la tradicin

planimtr ica no exenta de hallazgos formales obsrvese la nave alternativaconformada por el volumen de la entrada y el bside del baptisterio, garan-tizan la vigencia de un espacio que no es de ningn tiempo, y que es de todosa la vez.


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The Veracruz Temple was projected by architect

Antonio Palacios and built between the years 1940and 1957. It is a truly surprising building due toits plastic originality, presenting a conglomerateof Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic and Byzantine

forms with Gauds influences. The compositionends at a beautiful 52 m tower where expressionism,

symbolism and historicism are combined, traitswhich identified the architects work during the last

few years of his life.The church did not only aim at being a splendid

jewel box for the Lignum Crucis a true relic ofJesus Christs cross brought from the Holy Land,but also at bringing together under the same roof thewhole history of Galician architecture. In spite of itsouter appearance, which is somewhat archaeologicaland unclassifiable Palacioss churches haverightly been described as stone dinosaurs, theinside is full of perspectives and thrilling due to thelight treatment. (Paradoxically, Palacios was nearlyblind when the building started to be built.)

The original and complex temple plan is dividedinto two areas: a main nave with centred plan,including and apse with an ambulatory, and a

second nave attached to its feet of rectangular shape.A triumph arch separates both areas and portraysthe group of apostles inside a crown of light.

Examples of his interest for detail are thebuttresses, towers and parabolic arches, which wereexecuted following the Trinitarian idea that a singlearch, the parabolic one, stems from three different

points. The authors eagerness for virtuosism andminute detail was harshly criticised by differentmodern circles at different times.

We would like to acknowledge Mr. EvaristoVaamonde, the former parish priest of O Carballio,as well as promoter Adolfo Otero Landeiro, formanaging to erect this palace for God thanks to their

financial imagination and persevering will.

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El Templo de la Veracruz fue proyectado por el arquitecto Antonio

Palacios y construido entre los aos 1940 y 1957. Es un edificio realmentesorprendente por su originalidad plstica, pues presenta una amalgamade formas neorromnicas, neogticas y bizantinas donde se adivinan lasinfluencias de Gaud. La composicin culmina en una bella torre de 52 mde altura, en la que se conjugan el expresionismo, el simbolismo y el histo-ricismo que identificaron la obra de este arquitecto en los ltimos aos desu vida.

La iglesia no slo pretenda ser un esplndido cofre para elLignum Crucisuna reliquia autntica de la Cruz de Cristo trada desde Tierra Santa, sinotambin condensar en un mismo espacio toda la historia de la arquitecturagallega. Pese a su aspecto exterior un tanto arqueolgico e inclasificable nosin razn se han llegado a calificar las iglesias de Palacios como dinosaurios

ptreos, el interior es rico en perspectivas y emocionante por el tratamientoque se hace de la luz (paradjicamente, Palacios estaba casi ciego cuando seFRPHQ]yDFRQVWUXLUHOHGLILFLR

La planta del templo es original y compleja, y se articula en dos zonas: unanave principal de planta centrada, que incluye en su cabecera un bside condeambulatorio; y una segunda nave adosada a sus pies, rectangular. Separandoestos dos mbitos se encuentra un arco triunfal, que acoge al colegio de losapstoles dentro de una corona de luz.

Contrafuertes, torreones y arcos parablicos ejecutados con la idea tri-nitaria de que de tres puntos distintos surge un solo arco, el parablico, sonun ejemplo del afn detallista, minucioso y virtuosista del autor, duramentecriticado en diversos momentos por distintos crculos modernos.

Desde aqu nuestro recuerdo a Evaristo Vaamonde, entonces prrocode O Carballio, y al constructor Adolfo Otero Landeiro, que con ima-ginacin econmica y voluntarismo perseverante, lograron levantar estepalacio para Dios.


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Current historiography shows a certain trend

which is derived from the uncritical acceptance ofthe predominant positions among the propagandistsof the first Modernity, according to which the spiritof times has unavoidably led architecture to abstract,nautical or industrial languages, therefore, anybodywho dares reject them would be disregarded asheterodox, reactionary or involutional. Existe unacierta tendencia en la historiografa contempornea,derivada de la aceptacin. If you find it difficultto explain international architecture with such a

pattern, trying to understand Galician architectureis totally impossible.

The architect Manuel Gmez Romn took partfrom his youth in several romantic initiatives whichaimed at recovering the specifically Galician valueswithin the Spanish territory. He was a person with anintense political and social life which he exercised atdifferent times. He promoted in his architecture the

path to the rural palace language which had seenits summit with the Santiago Plaque Baroque and hecombined it with regionalist references characteristicof the architecture of returned emigrants.

The hermit of Our Lady of A Gua shares thissavoir-faire, a language which was being used in Vigoby practically all the architects and which generateda great part of the best buildings in the city, at leastthose best appreciated by the common citizen. In fact,due to its exceptional location and its predominantlymonumental concept, it may be said that the churcharchitecture is simply a language. The lack of

proportion between nave and tower, as well as theaddition of a sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus atthe summit which was never made must be understood

from a particular approach to the landscape.Apart from that, the object was wonderfully

executed. The perfection of sculptural and constructivedetails extends to the outside, which was conceived asa delicate miniature basilica.

A proposal by Antonio Palacios dated in 1930with the purpose of building a grand sanctuary onthe same spot is also kept.

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Existe una cierta tendencia en la historiografa contempornea, derivada

de la aceptacin acrtica de las posturas predominantes entre los propagan-distas de la primera Modernidad, segn la cual el espritu de los tiemposhabra abocado ineludiblemente la arquitectura hacia los lenguajes abstractos,nuticos e industriales, y todo aqul que se negase a asumirlo quedara ta-chado de heterodoxo, retrgrado o involucionista. Si ya es difcil explicar laarquitectura mundial con este esquema, comprender la arquitectura gallegaresulta del todo imposible.

El arquitecto Manuel Gmez Romn particip desde su juventud endiversas iniciativas de corte romntico que pretendan recuperar los valoresespecficos de Galicia dentro del estado espaol. Persona de intensa vida po-ltica y social, ejercida en pocas muy distintas, impuls con su arquitecturael camino del lenguaje palaciego rural que haba tenido su momento demximo esplendor con el barroco de placas compostelano, combinndolocon referencias regionalistas propias de la arquitectura de los indianos.

La ermita de Nuestra Seora de la Gua participa de este modo de hacer,un lenguaje que en ese momento estaban utilizando en Vigo casi todos losarquitectos, y que generar buena parte de los mejores edificios de la ciudad,o al menos, los ms apreciados por el ciudadano de a pie. De hecho, dada suexcepcional ubicacin y su concepcin eminentemente monumental, se puededecir que la arquitectura de esta iglesia es slo lenguaje. La desproporcin en-tre la nave y la torre, as como la incorporacin de una escultura del SagradoCorazn de Jess en la cspide que nunca se lleg a realizar, han de leerse enclave paisajstica.

Por lo dems, se trata de un objeto deliciosamente ejecutado. La perfeccinde los detalles escultricos y constructivos se extiende al interior, concebidocomo si de una delicada baslica en miniatura se tratase.

Se conserva una propuesta de Antonio Palacios, fechada en 1930, paraconstruir un fastuoso santuario en esa misma ubicacin.


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El asentamiento minero de Fontao, cerca de Silleda, se estableci en 1954,FXDQGRVHHPSH]DURQDH[SORWDUVXVPLQDVGHZROIUDPLR&HVDU&RUW\-RDTXtQ

Basilio Bas planearon un poblado completo que, adems de las viviendas delos trabajadores, inclua diversos equipamientos complementarios: un campode ftbol, una escuela, viviendas para los maestros, un cine y una iglesia.Cuando a principios de los aos setenta las minas dejaron de utilizarse, el

poblado se fue abandonando, hasta que en 2001 la Xunta de Galicia decidiacometer la rehabilitacin de las viviendas. La iglesia no fue restaurada, comotampoco lo fueron los dems servicios comunes.

Arquitectnicamente, la pieza resulta excepcional en el contexto gallego, ymerecera una intervencin cuidadosa para volver a ponerla en funcionamiento.La pureza de sus lneas, la rotundidad de su implantacin y la contundencia desu espacio interior, as lo demuestran. Situada en el lmite oeste del poblado,

media entre ella y las viviendas una campa que marca el espacio de aproxima-FLyQ8QSyUWLFRHOHPHQWDOORVDGHKRUPLJyQ\SLODUHVGHDFHURODPLQDGRGH

escala un tanto confusa, sirve de atrio, conectando el volumen de la iglesia conun campanario concebido a modo de escultura. La simplicidad del volumen seequilibra con la textura de los paramentos rugosos, que integra el edificio en el

paisaje mediante la vibracin de la luz.

Precisamente, el espacio interior se ilumina a travs de la fachada sur,quebrada en diente de sierra, mientras se cierra completamente al norte. Haciael oeste, el retablo se identifica con el paisaje, visible tras una inmensa cruzestructural. La sacrista se encuentra bajo el altar, que as aprovecha el acusa-do desnivel del terreno y justifica la singular implantacin del edificio.

Su inspiracin en la capilla que los arquitectos norteamericanos Robert$QVKHQ\:LOOLDP6$OOHQFRQVWUX\HURQHQ6HGRQD$UL]RQD(VWDGRV8QLGRV

pocos aos antes, est fuera de toda duda.

The Fontao mining settlement, near Silleda, was

established in 1954, when the wolfram mines beganto be exploited. Cesar Cort & Joaqun BasilioCesar Cort & Joaqun BasilioBas planned a whole village comprising differentcomplementary insfrastructures, apart from theworkers dwellings: a football pitch, a school,teachers houses, a cinema and a church. The minesThe minesceased to be exploited in the early 70s and the villagewas deserted until the Autonomous Government ofGalicia decided to refurbish the dwellings in 2001.

Neither the church nor the rest of common facilitieswere restored.

The work is architecturally exceptional in Galiciaand it deserves a careful intervention so as to makeit functional again. This is shown by the purity of itslines, the rotundity of its implementation and the forceof its interior. It is located at the Western limit of the

village and there is a ground lying between it and thedwellings, marking the approach area. The atrium isan elementary portico (concrete slab and laminated

steel pillars) of a rather confusing scale. It links thechurch volume to a belfry conceived as a sculpture.The simple volume is balanced by the texture of therough faces and the building is integrated in the

space by means of the light vibration.Precisely, the inner space is lit up through the

Southern faade, which is torn like a saw while theNorthern side is completely closed. The altarpieceidentifies itself with the landscape towards the West;the landscape is visible behind a huge structuralcross. The sacristy is under the altar, thus making themost of the steep slope and justifying the buildingsunique implementation.

It was undoubtedly inspired by the chapel madeby the North-American architects Robert Anshen& William S. Allen in Sedona (Arizona, USA) a few

years earlier.


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A principios de los aos sesenta, un cura joven y entusiasta, pidi al ar-

quitecto madrileo Jos Luis Fernndez del Amo que proyectase la iglesia desu recin estrenada parroquia. Fernndez del Amo, muy vinculado a los am-

biente catlicos y de vanguardia de su tiempo, puso especial empeo en que eledificio se integrara con la arquitectura annima de la montaa de Lugo.

El edificio es muy pequeo. La estructura de su cubierta est formada porcerchas de hierro, vistas, sobre las que se dispone un entarimado de madera.El ambiente interior es sobrio, digno y adecuado, tan solo enriquecido por el

brillo de sus vidrieras. En los nudos inferiores de las cerchas se colocaronbombillas desnudas, que aportan un aire muy peculiar al espacio. El materialms abundante de la zona es la pizarra, por lo que se utiliza tanto en la cubier-ta como en los muros o en el mismo pavimento. La torre un paraleleppedosimple con el hueco de las campanas incrustado en el ngulo recuerdamucho a otras arquitecturas del autor.

El arquitecto cont con la colaboracin de algunos artistas amigos: JosLuis Gmez Perales realiz las vidrieras, y Jos Luis Snchez Planes las im-genes, el altar y el sagrario. Aos despus, declarara: Experiencia tengode haber edificado unas cuantas por distintas latitudes de nuestra geografa.Pequeas iglesias rurales. Me propuse siempre hacer una arquitectura de laliturgia. He de decir que he evolucionado con el tiempo, anticipndome enespritu a la nueva Constitucin [Sacrosanctum Concilium], que ha venido aconfirmarme en mis ya viejos empeos.

La resonancia de esta iglesia propici el encargo de otras tres iglesiasen Galicia, si bien no tan brillantes como esta. En 1991, Fernndez del Amo

todava consideraba A Cruz do Incio, en su sencillez, como una de sus obrasms significativas.

A young and enthusiastic priest asked the architect

Jos Luis Fernndez del Amo, from Madrid, to makea project for a church in his brand new parish, inthe early 60s. Fernndez del Amo, who was closelylinked to the Catholic and avant-garde circles ofhis time, made a special effort in order to integratethe building with the anonymous architecture of the

Lugo mountains.It is a very small building and its cover is made of

exposed iron trusses on which wooden boards wereplaced. The interior atmosphere is sober, decentand appropriate, only made richer by the glow ofthe stained-glass windows. Naked light-bulbs were

placed at the bottom knots of the trusses, providing avery peculiar ambient to the space. Slate is the mostabundant material in the area, so it was used both

for the cover, the walls and the floors. The tower isa simple parallelepiped structure with a hole for thebells carved into the angle, and it recalls many otherexamples of the authors architecture.

The architect enjoyed the collaboration of many ofhis artist friends, such as Jos Luis Gmez Peraleswho made the stained-glass windows and Jos LuisSnchez Planes who made the sculptures, the altarand the tabernacle. He said some years later: I havehad the experience of building a few across different

parts of our geography, some small rural churches. Ialways wanted to make liturgy architecture. I must saythat I have evolved through time, foreseeing the spiritof the new Constitution (Sacrosanctum Concilium),which has confirmed my older efforts.

The resonance of this church led to the commissionof three more churches in Galicia, though notas brilliant as this one. Fernndez del Amo stillconsidered the simple A Cruz do Incio to be one of hismost significant works in 1991.


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Esta iglesia es un proyecto muy personal de un arquitecto aficionado

al simbolismo de los nmeros, dentro de la tradicin cabalstica. El escasopresupuesto y el inadecuado solar disponible, aconsejaron la adopcin deuna compleja trama triangular que sirvi de pauta geomtrica para ordenar elconjunto. De hecho, se pretenda que no existiesen referencias iconogrficasexpresas a ninguna religin concreta, ya que se supona que el tringulo, pors mismo, condensara todos las posibles valencias simblicas.

El espacio interior est dominado por un lucernario hexagonal que subrayala presencia del altar, en el que confluyen todas las lneas de fuerza. Ningnobstculo dificulta la visin de los fieles.

Resulta admirable la dedicacin del autor a su trabajo, intentando dar res-puesta formal a cada uno de los episodios de la liturgia. El ambn triangular,ligeramente separado del presbiterio, con el expositor de la Sagrada Escrituraincorporado y su iluminacin suspendida, ilustra bien esta idea. Pero slo esun ejemplo. La minuciosa resolucin del sagrario, de la sede del celebrante,del baptisterio y as indefinidamente, encuentran el cnit de la emocin en la

prodigiosa escalera que asciende al campanario, para alcanzar un ms allsituado fuera del espacio de culto.

La homogeneidad y la fuerza del material, un hormign armado tratadocon primor, neutralizan e integran algunos detalles decorativos que podran

parecer de dudoso gusto. Sin duda, la buena conservacin del edificio cuarentaaos despus evidencia la satisfaccin de los fieles y el acierto del arquitecto,que adems, don sus honorarios para ayudar a la edificacin de esta iglesia.

La construccin comenz en 1962; en un primer momento slo se realiz

la cripta, pero tras el Concilio Vaticano II, se revis el diseo y se completel templo. Bar Bo tambin proyect una capilla abierta para Santa Leocadia,HQ0RVHQGH3RQWHYHGUD\ODLJOHVLDSDUURTXLDOGH6DQWR7RPpGH)UHL[HLURHQ

Vigo, que no se llegaron a construir.

This church is a very personal project by an

architect who was a fan of number symbolism withinthe Cabala tradition. Due to the tight budget and thelack of ground available, it was advised to make acomplex triangle-shaped array which served as a

geometrical pattern to arrange the set. In fact, itwas intended that no iconographic references toany specific religion should be included, given thatthe triangle was supposed to compile every possible

symbolic value.The interior space is ruled by a hexagonal skylight

highlighting the presence of the altar in which everypower line converges. There is no obstacle hamperingthe believers view.

The authors devotion to his work deservesadmiration, since he tried to provide a formal answerto each of the liturgical episodes. The triangle-shaped

pulpit is slightly detached from the presbytery, it hasan integrated shelf for the Holy Scriptures and its

suspended lighting illustrates very well the idea.That is just an example. The minute resolution ofthe tabernacle, the celebrating priests chair, thebaptistery, etc., reach the zenith of emotion at the

prodigious staircase going up to the belfry in order toarrive somewhere far beyond the place of worship.

The homogeneity and strength of the material, acarefully treated armoured concrete, neutralise andintegrate some decorating motives which might seemto be of dubious taste. Undoubtedly, the fact that thebuilding is so well preserved 40 years later shows the

satisfaction of the faithful and the architects success.He also donated his fees for building this church.

The construction works started in 1962. Only thecrypt was tackled at first, but, after the II VaticanCouncil, the design was reviewed and the templecompleted. Bar Bo also made a project for an openchapel for St. Leocadia, in Mosende (Pontevedra),as well as the St. Thomas parish church in Freixeiro,Vigo; they were never built.


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Doa Carmen Polo de Franco no se imaginaba que las gestiones realizadas

ante su marido para edificar una nueva iglesia en Cabaas, una importante zonade veraneo en los alrededores de Ferrol, iban a arrojar un resultado formalmentetan alejado de sus gustos personales. Su intencin era levantar una coquetaiglesia de piedra y teja, en la lnea neobarroca que estaban desplegando en Vigoarquitectos como Manuel Gmez Romn.

Por azares de la historia, el proyecto recay en Alfredo Alcal Navarro,un arquitecto manchego recin titulado, que empez a frecuentar a los curasobreros de la zona, para los cuales construira varios centros parroquiales.La escasez presupuestaria y la estticapovera demandada por sus clientes, lellevaron a trabajar con materiales muy bsicos, como el bloque de hormignvisto y la plancha de fibrocemento. El lujo habra que buscarlo en la perfectaejecucin de los procesos constructivos, en la adecuacin de la planta a laforma de la asamblea y en el oportuno control ambiental.

Dentro de estos parmetros hay que leer la iglesia de La Magdalena.Edificada en un solar lastimoso, en el fondo de una cantera, todo el proyectose hace eco de la frase evanglica que el prroco quiso grabar en el escarpianoPXURGHKRUPLJyQ0DLVHODUHJRXQRVFRQEiJRDV/F

El edificio se desarrolla bajo una cubierta dentada sostenida por cerchasmetlicas, que enfatiza su funcin de paraguas construido, y oculta con un

patio ingls la recogida de las escorrentas de la ladera. Precisamente, esepatio permite iluminar el fondo del altar, dando profundidad a un espaciointerior muy luminoso gracias al falso techo de policarbonato que difunde laluz cenital de modo uniforme.

Tan slo la puerta de madera aporta un mnimo de convencionalidad aun espacio que aspira a confundirse con las naves industriales, quedando,de esta forma, como un documento vivo de una determinada poca de laIglesia espaola.

Ms. Carmen Polo de Franco did not imagine that

the pleas made to her husband for building a newchurch in Cabanas, an important summer resort nearFerrol, would end up by having a result which was sodetached from her personal tastes. Her intention wasHer intention wasto build a charming stone and t ile church, followingthe Neo-Baroque line displayed in Vigo by architects

such as Manuel Gmez Romn.The project was assigned to Alfredo Alcal

Navarro due to the randomness of history. He wasa recently graduated architect from La Mancha who

started approaching the working-class priests in thearea, for whom he built several parish centres. Hisclients demanded a povera aesthetics and there wasa tight budget so he was forced to work with somebasic materials, such as exposed concrete blocks and

fibre concrete slabs. Luxury would be found in the

perfect execution of the building processes, in theadequacy of the plan to the assembly form and in theappropriate environmental control.

The Magdalene Church must be understood fromthese parameters. It was built in a poor plot at theback of a quarry and the whole project echoes the

sentence from the Gospel which the parish priesthad carved into the Scarpian concrete wall: But shewatered us with tears (Lk 7, 44).

The building evolves under a dented coversupported by metal trusses which highlight its functionof constructed umbrella, at the same time hiding bymeans of an English courtyard the runoff water fromthe hillside. It is precisely this courtyard what allowslighting up the back of the altar, providing depth to avery bright interior thanks to the polycarbonate false

ceiling which distributes the zenith light uniformly.Just the wooden door provides some conventionalityto this space aiming at being confused with the industrial

plants. Therefore, it constitutes a live document of aparticular time of the Spanish Church.


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Cuando en 1971 el crtico madrileo Miguel ngel Baldellu public en

la revistaHogar y Arquitectura su famoso artculo sobre la nueva arquitecturagallega, se refiri al Convento de las Carmelitas Descalzas de Ourense comouno de los cinco edificios ms significativos del momento. Sin duda, JosJavier Suances haba recorrido con soltura el camino comenzado por AntonioFernndez Alba en sus cenobios salmantinos, exprimiendo sabiamente las

peculiar idades de este gnero edif icatorio.

Como se sabe, las iglesias monsticas o conventuales son templos espe-cficos que requieren un espacio para la plegaria conjunta de la comunidadreligiosa que lo usa a diario. Este lugar se denomina coro y debe estar aparta-do del pueblo y cerca del altar. En el caso que nos ocupa, el coro se encuentraubicado tras una reja de clausura donde est incrustado el sagrario.

La zona destinada a los fieles se dispone como un anfiteatro en tornoal altar. El espacio es clido, recogido e invita a la oracin. La iluminacinnatural, suave y difusa, proviene de un hueco alto cubierto con planchas on-duladas de policarbonato, que en la fachada se confunden con las lminas defibrocemento. El exterior es de un gris blanquecino que presenta una notableunidad cromtica, muy evidente en las fotografas areas. En ellas, el edificioaparece como un foco de luz en el barrio, donde las religiosas viven su vida deoracin, y de entrega a la adoracin y al sufrimiento, segn el carisma msticode Santa Teresa de Jess.

La perfecta orientacin de las celdas para asegurar el ptimo asoleamien-to y la ventilacin, la sinceridad constructiva de la arquitectura y la falta deretrica en el lenguaje la cruz que preside el conjunto no es otra cosa que

un nudo estructural de la fachada, convierten esta hermtica obra en unreferente inexcusable en la produccin religiosa gallega del siglo XX.

The Madrid critic Miguel ngel Baldellu

published in the magazine Hogar y Arquitecturain 1971 his famous article about the new Galicianarchitecture, referring to the Carmelitas DescalzasConvent in Ourense as one of the five most

significant buildings of the time. Undoubtedly, JosJavier Suances had successfully trodden the pathstarted by Antonio Fernndez Alba at his Salamancamonasteries, knowing how to make the most of the

peculiarities of this building genre.As it is well-know, monastic or convent churches

are specific temples requiring a space for the jointprayer of the inhabitants belonging to a religiouscommunity. This place is called choir and it mustbe detached from the people and close to the altar.

In this particular case, the choir is placed behind acloister fence hosting the tabernacle.

The area dedicated to the faithful is arranged as

an amphitheatre around the altar. The space is warm,withdrawn and conducive to meditation. The naturallighting is soft and dim and it comes from a high holecovered with wavy polycarbonate plates, mixed inthe faade with fibre concrete plates. The outside iswhitish grey and it has a notorious chromatic unity,apparent in aerial pictures. In those pictures, thebuilding appears as a spotlight in the quarter, inwhich the religious women live a life of prayer andcommitment to worship and suffering, according toSaint Therese of Jesus mystical charisma.

The cells are perfectly oriented in order to securea perfect sunlight and aeration. The constructive

sincerity of the architecture, as well as the lack ofrhetorical language the cross presiding over thebuilding is just a structural node in the faade,

turn this hermetical work into an unavoidablereference point in the Galician religious productionof the 20th century.


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La Santa Cruz es la ltima iglesia importante que Miguel Fisac construy

antes de su jubilacin. Pese a su evidente dureza visual el complejo fue total-mente realizado con hormign armado in situ, a excepcin de la cubierta, quese ejecut con piezas prefabricadas del mismo material, este sorprendenteedificio posee una riqueza espacial poco corriente y muy refinada.

Ya desde el atrio ese mbito intermedio entre el exterior y el interiorque permite purificar el espritu, con el fin de prepararlo para el encuentro conDios, todo el conjunto est pensado como una sucesin de recintos continuos,generados por unos muros curvos que, entre otras cosas, pretenden dispersarnaturalmente el sonido. La forma de abanico garantiza una visibilidad perfectadel altar desde cualquier punto de la nave.

Los distintos mbitos de la iglesia se definen por el color de la luz: ama-rilla en el presbiterio, azul en la nave, blanca sobre el altar y en el bellsimo

baptisterio-capilla penitencial, y una luz intensamente roja en la capilla delSantsimo Sacramento, que se proyecta como un desdoblamiento lateral dela nave.

Dos aspectos de este espacio resultan llamativos: la extraa disposicinDVLPpWULFDGHODVSLH]DVGHOSUHVELWHULRDOWDUDPEyQ\VHGH\ODUHOHJDFLyQ

de la capilla eucarstica a un mbito excesivamente secundario, cuyo cambiode ubicacin en el ltimo momento debido a una discutible interpretacinde las indicaciones del Concilio Vaticano II la convierten en la pieza msdudosa del conjunto.

La aspiracin del arquitecto a lograr una obra de arte total se manifiesta enel mobiliario litrgico que dise personalmente: el altar, la sede, el ambn,

la pila bautismal y las de agua bendita, los bancos especialmente logradosen el baptisterio, etc. Un gran crucifijo y una imagen de la Virgen Maracon el Nio, realizadas en bronce por los escultores Pablo Serrano y Jos LuisSnchez, respectivamente, presiden el espacio.

The Holy Cross is the last important church built

by Miguel Fisac before his retirement. In spite of itsobvious visual hardness the precinct was entirelymade of armoured concrete on site, except for thecover which was made of pre-fabricated pieces of the

same material; this surprising building possessesa rare and refined spatial richness.

The atrium that intermediate area betweenindoors and outdoors allowing the purification of the

spirit so as to make it ready for meeting God and thewhole precinct is conceived as a series of continuousrooms generated by curvy walls which aim, amongother things, at distributing the sound naturally. Thedovetail shape allows a perfect visibility of the altar

from anywhere in the nave.The different areas in the church are defined by

the colour of light: yellow in the presbytery, blue in

the nave, white above the altar and in the beautifulpenitential baptistery-chapel, while a deep red lightis at the Holy Sacrament chapel which projects itselfas a lateral unfolding of the nave.

There are two striking aspects in this space: thestrange asymmetric arrangement of the presbyterypieces (altar, pulpit and see) and the fact that theEucharist chapel is relegated to an excessivelysecondary point. Its position was altered at the lastminute due to a dubious interpretation of the IIVatican Councils guidelines which makes it themost doubtful piece in the set.

The architect aimed at achieving a total workof art, which shows in the liturgical furnishingsdesigned by him: the altar, the see, the pulpit, thebaptismal font and the blessed water ones, the

benches particularly well-done in the baptistery,etc. The temple is presided by a huge cross and asculpture of Virgin Mary and the Child, made ofbronze by the sculptors Pablo Serrano & Jos LuisSnchez, respectively.


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La iglesia parroquial de la Resurreccin del Seor tiene una historia com-

pleja y un tanto dramtica. Se proyect como un equipamiento ms, dentrode una urbanizacin condicionada por el paso de un oleoducto subterrneoque divida el barrio en diagonal. Su parcela lindaba con la canalizacin, y eledificio lo acus en su planta.

Jos Antonio Corrales, un arquitecto elegante y constructivista queresuelve con aparente facilidad los problemas que plantea la arquitectura,utiliz la construccin metlica y su lgica expresin formal como argumen-to para este edif icio.

De la misma manera, Corrales dara respuesta a la normativa litrgicaHQUHDOLGDGVyORVHWUDWDEDGHXQDPRGDTXHSDUHFtDUHTXHULUHVSDFLRVSR-livalentes para el culto. As, proyect una iglesia en gradero, sorprendente yllena de luz, sin referencias a la tradicin, sino tan solo al uso. El suelo se vaadaptando al terreno, mientras la cota de cubierta permanece constante. Lacapilla de diario, ms pequea, se integrara con la primera mediante grandes

paramentos de madera mviles.

Patios, circulaciones cubiertas, salas de catequesis, despachos y unavivienda sacerdotal que se eleva hasta la altura de los rboles, conformanun conjunto al que la estricta t rama geomtrica dota de unidad. Cinco inge-niosos lucernarios longitudinales contienen, simultneamente, la estructuray el sistema de recogida de aguas pluviales.

Al terminar su construccin, la Obra Sindical del Hogar don el edificioa la archidicesis de Santiago de Compostela, que no se pudo hacer cargo del. Y cuando dos dcadas ms tarde el arzobispado decidi crear all una pa-

rroquia, lo encontr en ruinas y okupado. Slo gracias a la infinita pacienciadel prroco, Jos Mara Fernndez, a la ayuda desinteresada de los arquitectosAndrs Fernndez-Albalat y Luis Vzquez Arcay, y las pequeas aportacio-nes de los fieles, el edificio se ha salvado de la desaparicin, aunque su estadoactual no coincida exactamente con el proyecto original.

The Lords Resurrection parish church has

a complex and somewhat dramatic story. It wasprojected as another infrastructure inside a districtmarked by the passing of an underground oleoductdividing it diagonally. This plot was bordering the

piping and the building plan was impacted.Jos Antonio Corrales, an elegant and constructivist

architect who was able to solve with apparent easethe architectural issues, used metallic constructionand its logical formal expression as the argument ofthis building.

Similarly, Corrales would provide an answer toliturgical regulations (actually, it was just a trend)apparently requiring multifunction spaces of worship.Thus, he projected a surprising and luminous tierchurch with no references to tradition, only to its use.The floor adapts itself to the ground while the cover

height remains constant. The smaller daily chapel isintegrated with the former by means of big movablewooden faces.

The set is integrated by courtyards, coveredcorridors, catechesis rooms, offices and the priestshouse reaching the height of the trees. The strict

geometrical array provides the set with unity. Thereare five smart longitudinal skylights containing

simultaneously the structure and the rainwatercollection system.

Once it was completed, the Obra Sindical delHogar donated the building to the Archdiocese ofSantiago de Compostela which could not take care ofit. The Archbishopric decided to open a parish theretwo decades later and found it derelict and occupied.

It was only thanks to parish priest Jos Mara

Fernndezs endless patience, and the unselfishassistance of architects Andrs Fernndez-Albalat &Luis Vzquez Arcay, as well as some small donationsby the faithful, that the building was rescued fromannihilation, though its current appearance does notexactly coincide with the original project.


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Los vigueses que nacieron a finales de los sesenta recuerdan la iglesia

parroquial de San Pelayo de Navia como una visin inslita. Situada en unentorno rural, al borde de una carretera por la que slo se pasaba en verano,cuando el atasco de la playa obligaba a dar un rodeo, su estilizada lmina dehormign recuerda una tienda de campaa. La metfora no resulta del todo in-adecuada, si se piensa que los israelitas, en el desierto, establecieron la tiendadel encuentro para que Moiss se reuniera con Dios y le hablase cara a cara; oTXH&ULVWRHO+LMRGH'LRVDFDPSyHQWUHQRVRWURV-Q

Esta evidencia formal la trabaja Antn Romn Conde con maestra, trasel relativo fracaso de su iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepcin en el barrio delCalvario, construida un ao antes. Si all la escala no estaba conseguida, aquel espacio se aquilata mucho ms, y la luz se controla mediante lucernarios

ocultos situados entre los pliegues de la estructura, cenitalmente y a ras desuelo. Sin duda, las experiencias de Flix Candela en Mxico y de Fray Coellode Portugal en Espaa, hicieron que otros arquitectos utilizaran en los espa-cios de culto un sistema constructivo barato y efectista.

La disposicin longitudinal de la planta, la situacin del baptisterio ylos confesionarios en la entrada del templo, manifiestan que esta formamilenaria la llamada planta basilical sigue cumpliendo perfectamentesu funcin de mbito del culto cristiano, en su doble faceta de celebraciny adoracin.

Por lo dems, salvo el baptisterio, bellamente diseado y ambientado,y algunos detalles plsticos interesantes situados tras el sagrario, todo elespacio respira naturalidad, y ningn otro elemento requiere una mencin

especial. Si acaso, sera deseable una mayor contencin en los objetos aa-didos, lo que potenciara la comprensin del espacio y la consecucin de unmbito recogido y digno de la casa de Dios.

Vigo citizens born in the late 60s will remember the

parish church of St. Pelayo de Navia as a surprisingvision. Located in a rural area by a road along whichpeople would only pass in the summertime, whenthe traffic jam of beach goers was forced to makea detour, its lithe concrete slab recalls a campingtent. The metaphor is not totally out of place if youthink that the Israelites put up the meeting tent on thedesert so that Moses could meet God and speak faceto face; or that Gods son, Jesus Christ, made hisdwelling among us (Jn 1, 14).

This formal evidence is brilliantly exercised byAntn Romn Conde after the relative failure ofhis Immaculate Conception church in the Calvariodistrict, built only one year earlier. The scale hadnot been well achieved there, while here the spaceis much more assayed and the light is controlled

by means of hidden skylights placed between thestructural folds, at the zenith and at floor level.Undoubtedly, Flix Candelas experiences in Mexicoand those of Fray Coello de Portugal in Spain madeother architects use a cheap and effective building

system for places of worship.The longitudinal arrangement of the plan, the

location of the baptistery and the confessional boxesat the temple entrance show that this millennium-old

shape the basilica still manages to fulfil itsfunction as Christian place of worship in its doubleaspect of celebration and adoration.

Otherwise, except for the beautifully designedbaptistery and some interesting plastic details

placed behind the tabernacle, the whole spacebreathes naturalness and no other element deservesa special mention. Perhaps a greater restraintwould be desirable as regards added objects, whichwould enhance the comprehension of the space andthe achievement of a withdrawn atmosphere worthyof Gods house.


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Hay edificios que llaman inmediatamente la atencin y otros que nece-

sitan ser utilizados para comprender la brillantez de su forma. Los primerosson muy apropiados para las publicaciones especializadas, mientras que lossegundos los valoran sus usuarios. Casi todos los arquitectos medianamentedotados comienzan haciendo edificios vistosos, y con el paso de los aos,segn van adquiriendo experiencia, pasan a construir los otros.

Esta pequea disertacin viene a cuento para introducir la obra deFrancisco Coello de Portugal Acua, un arquitecto andaluz que, tras descubrira finales de los aos cincuenta su vocacin como sacerdote dominico y renun-ciar por ello al ejercicio de la arquitectura, paradjicamente se convertira enel arquitecto espaol que ha construido ms iglesias y monasterios en todo elPXQGRGHVGH9HQH]XHODD7DLZiQ

Fray Coello es un arquitecto radicalmente moderno por su formacin ypor sus obras. Sus amplios conocimientos teolgicos, la experiencia de la vidareligiosa y su destreza constructiva, harn que sus planteamientos, inicial-mente formales, se decanten en unas iglesias tipo que responden muy bien alda a da, sin perder por ello su fuerza expresiva.

El tipo se apoya en una nave en abanico que hace converger fsicamentelas miradas en el altar, aadiendo una cierta sensacin de comunidad. A esteespacio se le adosa la capilla eucarstica, tambin en abanico, que se conectacon la nave principal mediante puertas correderas o de vidrio, de modo que

pueda quedar integrada en ella visual y fsicamente. Desde la entrada, la cu-bierta se eleva hacia el altar, donde un lucernario inunda de luz la mesa delsacrificio, subrayando su centralidad.

El lenguaje de los paramentos es sobrio, incluso brutalista. Coello gustamanejar el bloque de hormign aparejado en relieve. De esta forma, la vibra-cin de la luz anima el espacio que, de otra forma, podra parecer trivial.

Some buildings immediately strike ones attention,

while others need to be used so as to understand thebrilliantness of their shape. The former are fit forspecialised journals, while the latter are appreciatedby their users. Almost every averagely qualifiedarchitect will start by projecting a flashy buildingand, with the passing of time, as they acquireexpertise, they will start building the other type.

This small digression makes sense with thepurpose of introducing the work of Francisco Coellode Portugal Acua, an Andalusian architect whodiscovered his call as Dominican priest in the late50s and, as a result, gave up his architectural career.

However, he paradoxically became the Spanisharchitect who has built more churches and monasteriesacross the world: from Venezuela to Taiwan.

Brother Coello is a radically modern architect

due to his training and works. His wide theologicalknowledge, his experience of religious life and hisconstructive skills will make his initially formalapproaches to turn into some typology churcheswhich are very apt for daily functions, simultaneouslyretaining their expressive force.

The type is based on a fan nave which makesglances physically converge on the altar, addingsome feeling of community. The Eucharist chapel isattached to that space, also in fan shape, connectedto the main nave by means of sliding or glass doors,

so that it can be visually and physically integrated init. From the entrance, the cover ascends towards thealtar where a skylight floods the sacrifice table withlight, remarking its centrality.

The language of the faces is sober, almostbrutalist. Coello likes using concrete blocks coupledin relief. Thus, the light vibration animates a spacewhich could, otherwise, seem trivial.


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La celebracin de la IV Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en Santiago de&RPSRVWHODSRVLELOLWyTXH,DJR6HDUD0RUDOHVFRQVWUX\HUDGRVGHORV

espacios ms significativos del Monte del Gozo: el efmero estrado para la9LJLOLDGHO6DQWR3DGUHFRQORV-yYHQHVGHDJRVWR\ODFDSLOODGH6DQWD

Mara del Camino, que se termin para el Xacobeo93.

El edificio est integrado en el Centro Europeo de Peregrinacin y PastoralJuvenil Juan Pablo II. El carcter cosmopolita de la intervencin sirvi al ar-quitecto para plantear un ejercicio de estilo, una apuesta un tanto arriesgadaque estara justificada por la singularidad de la ocasin.

La capilla se configura como un espacio cbico y hermtico que abre unade sus caras para saludar y acoger a los peregrinos, poco antes de que comien-cen a ver las torres de la catedral. Este gesto simblico requiere una cuidadosamaterializacin constructiva. Seara construye un armazn metlico al quesuperpone placas prefabricadas de hormign armado. La fascinacin que serespiraba en aquella poca por la obra del arquitecto japons Tadao Ando y

por su magnfica arquitectura religiosa, queda plasmada aqu con la evidenciadel ritmo impuesto por los anclajes de las piezas de hormign.

Todo en esta obra respira teatralidad, si bien lo ajustado de la escala y lacalidez del interior logran mitigar el efecto de una arquitectura organizadamediante la superposicin de episodios aislados (la cruz recortada en la fa-chada, la fuente sonora, el cortavientos de acero, el hueco rasgado a ras desuelo, la sacrista como pliegue, la luz cenital oculta sobre el altar, el belloUHWDEORDEVWUDFWRGHSDQGHRUR6LQGXGDODHOHJDQFLDDGTXLULGDSRUHODU -quitecto en sus trabajos para el mundo de la moda conviene al edificio sacro,

y ser una tendencia que lograr integrar con ms naturalidad en la iglesiaparroquial de San Antonio de Pdua, tambin en Santiago de Compostela ,recientemente concluida.

The celebration of the IV World Youth Day in

Santiago de Compostela (1989) allowed Iago SearaMorales the building of two of the most significantspaces in Monte del Gozo: the interim stage for theHoly Fathers Vigil with the Youth (19 August), andthe Holy Mary of the Way chapel completed for the

Jacobean Year 1993.The building is part of the European Centre for

Pilgrimage and Youth Pastoral John Paul II. Thecosmopolitan nature of the intervention helped thearchitect to plan a style exercise, a somewhat riskybet justified by the unique occasion.

The chapel is configured as a cubic hermeticspace open on one side so as to greet and welcomepilgrims, just before they start seeing the cathedralstowers. This symbolic gesture requires a carefulconstructive execution. Seara built a metallic

skeleton upon which pre-fabricated armouredconcrete slabs were placed. At that time, the workof the Japanese architect Tadao Ando and hiswonderful religious architecture seemed fascinating,and this is evidenced here by the rhythm imposed bythe concrete piece anchorages.

Everything about this work is theatrical, althoughthe right scale and the warm interior manage to

soften the effect of an architecture which is organisedby means of the superimposition of isolated episodes(the cross carved on the faade, the sounding fountain,the steel windbreaker, the almond-shaped hole at

floor level, the sacristy fold, the zenith light hiddenabove the altar, the beautiful abstract pain doraltarpiece...). Undoubtedly, the elegance achieved bythe architect in his works for the fashion world fits the

sacred building and this trend will be perfected witha greater naturalness in e Saint Anthony of Padua

parish church, also in Santiago de Compostela,which has been recently completed.


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El monumento de la Virgen de la Roca fue una iniciativa personal de

Laureano Salgado, un industrial vigus que, tras regresar de los Estados Unidos,encarg el proyecto a Antonio Palacios. Aunque las obras comenzaron en 1910,las dificultades econmicas derivadas de su financiacin por suscripcin popu-lar hicieron que los trabajos se prolongasen durante veinte aos.

Inicialmente el arquitecto haba pensado utilizar mosaicos en relieve,elaborados con cuarzo blanco mezclado con cantos rodados recogidos de las

playas prximas, que cubriran en franjas el dengue y el manto de la Virgen.Estos mosaicos, el tono blanco del granito general, junto con el rostro y lasmanos de la Virgen realizados en mrmol por ngel Garca Daz, escultorque por entonces colaboraba con Palacios, daran al conjunto una luminosi-dad especial.

Con sus quince metros de altura, esta escultura gigante que est colocada so-

bre las rocas que afloran a la superficie del monte de San Roque, continundolascomo si surgiera de la tierra, se encuentra al final de un largo Va Crucis ptreo,y sirve de meta y de fondo para romeras y peregrinaciones. Mara aparece como

protectora de los hombres del mar, extendiendo su mano a la manera de la Virgenel Carmen.

El monumento tambin alude al hecho de que Baiona fue el primer puertoeuropeo donde se tuvo conocimiento del descubrimiento de Amrica, graciasa la arribada de la carabela La Pinta al mando de Martn Alonso Pinzn. Estesimbolismo se refleja en la corona de la Virgen y en la embarcacin que sostie-ne con su mano derecha, accesible por una escalera interior y desde donde sedisfrutan unas magnficas vistas.

Existe una mencin directa de la neoyorquina Estatua de la Libertad)UpGHULF$XJXVWH%DUWKROGLVLWXDGDH[DFWDPHQWHDORWURODGRGHORFpDQR

Atlntico; esta referencia al monumento americano apareci repetidamente en laprensa, en el momento de conocerse el proyecto.

The Virgin of the Rock monument was a personal

initiative by Laureano Salgado, an industrialist fromVigo who, after returning from the USA, commissionedthis project to Antonio Palacios. Although the works

started in 1910, financial hardships derived from thefact that it was built from popular funding, led theworks to last for 20 years.

The architect had initially thought about usingrelief mosaics made of white quartz mixed with

shingles collected from neighbouring beaches, whichwould cover the Virgins mantle and veil in stripes.These mosaics, the general white hue of granite,together with the Virgins face and hands were madeof marble by ngel Garca Daz, a sculptor who usedto collaborate with Palacios, providing the set witha special light.

This gigantic 15 m tall sculpture is placed upon

the rocks on the surface of St. Roques mountain,and it seems to continue with them as if it emerged

from the ground. It is the end of a long and stonyway-of-the-cross and it serves as the goal of fairsand pilgrimages. Mary appears to be the protector of

seafarers, reaching out her hand just l ike the Virginof Carmen.

The monument also refers to the fact that Baionawas the first European port which found out about

Americas discovery, thanks to the arrival of caravelLa Pinta commanded by Martn Alonso Pinzn. Thissymbolism is reflected in the Virgins crown and thevessel held in her right hand which can be accessedby an interior staircase and from which you canenjoy some wonderful views.

There is a direct mention of New Yorks Statue of

Liberty (Frderic-Auguste Bartholdi, 1889), placedright across the Atlantic Ocean; this reference to the

North-American monument was repeatedly made bythe press when they learnt about the project.


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+2007 Ourense - Arquitectura religiosa contemporánea en Galicia - 15 obras

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