Between heaven and earth

When we talk about St. Gera church, it is not enough to solely consider the rational basis of the monument, the spiritual aspect must also be taken into account. The angular form of the new roof reflects the contours of the surrounding mountains. It is formed like a tectonic mantle. This architectural vernacular is free of unnecessary frills, simply the sincere use of simple materials that is intended to symbolise the permanence and reality of faith.

The roof consists of a three-dimensional steel structure, supported by five pillars on which the load-bearing framework of wooden spars rests. The transition from the practical to the sacral is realised by the geometry of the substructure, which is directs the viewer’s perspective towards heaven in the direction of the “Omega Point”, which according to Teilhard de Chardin is personified by Jesus Christ, the point towards which everything strives and in which evolution finds its ultimate expression.
 
 

The historical building was restored and modernised in a way that recalls a church and which at a subconscious level is immediately identifiable as such. The apparent dematerialisation of the roof is intended to enable visitors to experience the symbolic separation between heaven and earth.

 
The primary elements for achieving this effect are dark-grey glazed beaver tail tiles of varying dimensions. The size of the tiles decreases rhythmically as they get closer the ridge. The roof is intended to both reflect and at the same to merge with the sky. Under clouds and sun, the light plays in different ways on its surface, making the church disappear and reappear under certain light conditions. From a distance, it fades into the “sfumato” landscape of the blue-green forest. Stone, brick, wood and metal – millennia-old construction materials – are combined into a contemporary, flowing shape that evokes wonder in the visitor.