Nativity Church Competition Culiacan, Sinaloa Building, Picture, Architecture, Architect

Nativity Church Competition, Mexico

Culiacan Building – design by Pascal Arquitectos

17 Aug 2010

Nativity Church Competition

Location: Culiacan, Sinaloa, México

Design: Pascal Arquitectos

Design

Design considerations

– Pascal Arquitectos’ intention is to create a recognizable object, its shape comes from a fish, and the exterior covering reminds of scales.
– Pascal Arquitectos decided not to put the picnic area in the bridge, it is nicer to have a picnic on the grass, besides it would make it too expensive and it would be too wide. We created a picnic garden outside the plaza, just upon arrival form de bridge and stairs, it has a view to the lake and it is shaded by big trees, and at the same time it is adjoining but not together with the plaza events.
– The green wall in the Plaza creates a contained place and together with the shadow of the church it generates a microclimate, it acts like a veil which allows discovering through it the surrounding landscape.
– Parking is possible under crypts with direct access from west side.
– The crypts are like a library, a maze you can walk or stroll.
– All the building is ADA accessible, even without the use of mechanical devises.
– Sustainability and emphasis on Culiacan weather condition is a considered in all of the design.
– Three-dimensional modulation is based on a 4 ft by 4 ft grid, this guarantees order, coincidences, besides there is no waste all the material is used at it maximum expression allowing the acquisition of better material.
– The design is based in a series of structural frames that create grids where all the other materials are hanged, screwed or attached in a mechanical way, allowing the service replacement and access to inner wiring plumbing etc. and also setting a job process of installing bases on prefabrication instead of jobsite construction.
– The stained glass presbytery is a fundamental part of the architecture; I fuses into it, and is part of the structural support of the building besides being recognizable from the outside.
– We added a fire pit on the centre of the plaza to provide heat in cold nights and also as a gathering point.

Furniture and accessories

– Furniture and accessories design will follow same geometrical theme as the architecture.

The Bridge

The bridge must not compete with the church, so it is going to be made of the lightest possible steel structure and glass enclosure, being the bottom of it done in a double translucent glass layers that are lit at night.

Nativity Altarpiece

The Nativity is proposed as a large thematic stained-glass window drawing that also works as the structural piece that holds this church area. The colours used in this work have a symbolic and decorative function as well.

In this case, the Nativity altarpiece is formed by two panels with narrative continuity; on the left side (seen from the inside of the church) includes the holy child in the crib, the Virgin Mary, the midwife and the angels.

Child Jesus crib is at the same time the womb that, by its colour, is associated to the light that “illuminates us” and to the nourishing earth, represents the world to come and life foundation.

Virgin Mary, accompanied by the midwife symbolizes the feminine and maternal side, the feelings, the wisdom of grace and the beauty. The virgin has a blue robe that relates her with heaven. On the other hand, both feminine figures are bound by the red colour that refers to life origin.

Joseph, shown like a pilgrim that has made a long walk, represents willpower, intelligence and compassion.

The scene were child Jesus, Virgin Mary and Joseph appear, seems to take place in an interior space, while the rest of the story happens on the outside.
The right hand panel represents the masculine and the action world, including the shepherd, the animals and the three Wise Men guided by the star.

Nativity Church Culiacan images / information from Pascal Arquitectos

Pascal Arquitectos

Religious Building Designs

Location: Culiacan, Sinaloa, México, North America