Sacred architecture encompasses the design and construction of places of worship—churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. It cannot define the sacred, yet it possesses the rare ability to make it perceptible, inviting people into an experience that transcends the physical. Rather than explaining holiness, it gives it architectural expression. Ultimately, sacred architecture belongs not to the architect, but to those who experience it.
Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Thoughtfully embedded within its landscape, the Knarvik Community Church in Norway has been carefully proportioned to harmonise with the site's vegetation, topography and distinctive spatial character. Conceived as both a place of worship and a catalyst for cultural, artistic and musical life, the church serves as a vital centre for both spiritual reflection and community engagement. The project was developed in anticipation of a future central square, allowing the church and its surrounding landscape to function as a welcoming civic space throughout the week, rather than solely during religious services. The architects sought to create an inclusive, inspiring and dignified environment—one that honours Christian faith while responding with equal sensitivity to people, climate and place.
© Melissa-Hegge
Qingdao Zangma Mountain Moon Sky Auditorium
Zhuang Ziyu Studio
Respecting the past while embracing the future, the Qingdao Zangma Mountain Moon Sky Auditorium responds with equal sensitivity to both religious and secular interpretations of space. The building is conceived as a dialogue between two realms: a lower level, partially embedded in the earth, and an open courtyard intimately connected to the surrounding landscape, both evoking memory, history and what remains hidden. Above them rises the sanctuary, poised between mountains and water, opening itself towards the heavens as a place where the hymns of creation are contemplated and celebrated. In pursuit of a timeless architectural language, the architects drew upon the archetypes of sacred buildings, reinterpreting the emotions traditionally associated with them. This duality is expressed through the dynamic relationship between plan, section and volume.
© Su Shengliang
Sino-French Science Park Church
Shanghai Dachuan Architects
Located within the Sino-French Agricultural Science and Technology Park in Chengdu, China, Langxiang Church departs from the conventional language of the European Catholic church. Defined by luminous white surfaces and an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow, the building proposes an entirely new architectural vocabulary that privileges freedom, romance and diversity over historical imitation. The surrounding park seeks to recreate, for an Asian context, the atmosphere of Provence and the luminous sensibility of Impressionist painting. At sunset, shafts of natural light penetrate the church until the building itself appears transformed into light. Here, light is not simply an architectural device but the immaterial substance that gives the church its spiritual presence.
© Archexist
Santa Maria Goretti Church
Mario Cucinella Architects
Solitary, serene and monolithic, the Church of Santa Maria Goretti rises on the outskirts of the Calabrian town of Mormanno. Its sculptural form draws inspiration from both the surrounding landscape and the austere apsidal churches built in Calabria by monks fleeing persecution during the final centuries of the Roman Empire. The result is a striking contemporary landmark, standing like a solitary sentinel within the landscape. Entry is marked by a cross-shaped incision carved into one of the white concrete apses. Inside, daylight is gently filtered through translucent fabric suspended from the sixteen-metre-high ceiling. These ethereal draperies reinterpret the flowing geometries of the Baroque churches San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, creating an atmosphere of quiet contemplation and profound spiritual serenity.
© Duccio Malagamba
Words by Monica Ady
Discover the full version of this story in Volume II.