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Ecclesiastical&Civic

Holy Cross Church, Dundrum

Project Architect while at NDBA Architects

Following the winning of the RIAI competition we met with the clients who in the intervening period had decided to extend the project brief to also include the refurbishment of the existing parish hall in the basement, redesign of the sacristy area, redesign of the existing choir gallery and finally the creation of a new welcoming pavilion connecting the parish hall with the church proper. Over a period of consultation the church design evolved and developed. It was important that the design approach respected the existing church whilst at the same time brought it into the new century and made it fit for purpose. Each intervention was carefully scrutinised and often redesigned to accommodate concerns raised by the parish committee. The scheme is an example of a project where the client is susceptible to new ideas but conscious of the past and the need to respect the nature of ‘sacred space’. It is our view that the scheme is not a compromise of these conflicting criteria but a stunning design solution born out of a collaborative process by all involved.

Chapel, Francenigo Italy​

The idea of a new chapel for the existing church of Francenigo, Italy was in the will of the former parish priest.  He. The Chapel was to give his parish and community a warm and tranquile space for the weekday masses, confessions and personal meditation.

The project had to deal with the protected structure of the existing church and the surroundings, including a multipurpose sport ground at the back of the church. The approach was to build a very simple and clean element that had to relate with the multiple additions to the orginal fabric of the building in a modern idium, incorporating modern technologies and materials.

The altar is in the center of the room, this allows the congregation to be an active part of the cerimonies.

Private Church, Brugnera Italy

The owner of a wineyard which included a large 18th century residence with storage rooms and wine cellars, asked us to design a private church to be built within the grounds of the estate and dedicated to St. Anthony.

The style of the new building had to reflect the exisiting buildings in the site to create an armony enriched by the beatiful landscape which includeds large secular trees.

Bell Tower, Cavolano, Italy

The church of Cavolano, Pordenone, Italy hadbeen without a bell tower for 4 decades, since when the old tower collapsed. The parish priest decided to use donations and public funds to build a new tower for the church.

Old photographs and drawings showed the previous "campanile"  in the shape of a medioeval tower;  this led the initial concept  to the design of a modern interpretation of a tower. The structure had to deal with a very complex geological and sysmic area and with the dynamic power of the swinging bells.

The concrete structure, finished in bricks and render, has been designed to act as a sounding board, allowing the vibration to enhance the sound of the bells.

Saint John of the Knights, Italy

The 14th century church of Saint John of the Knights in Prata di Pordenone, Italy, was falling into neglect. Extensive restoration works were needed on the roof, the floor and to stop the water infiltrations into the exterior walls.

The project had to deal with restrictive conservation guidelines and archeological findings that emerged from lifting the floor, delaying the programme by several months. 

The final appearence of the church is respectful of the orginal building with the inclusion of a new vented roof, a restored floor with a dry underlay substrate, a new heating and lighting system.

The works included the landscaping of the church surroundings with the inclusion of disable access. 

Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock

Project Architect while at NDBA Architects

We were involved in a number of small but important interventions in the church and its environs. We were asked to revise the layout and redesign the Parish office that is housed in the basement of the church.  We redesigned the internal layout to make it more open plan whilst still maintaining a clearly defined separation of public and private realms. The interior was then redecorated and refurbished to meet the needs of a 21st century church.  The solution as implemented whilst simple, radically improved the circulation within the church. As part of this study we put forward proposals for the refurbishment of the church shop. Finally we proposed that the existing main entrance doors should be replaced to allow a greater visual connection with the exterior and allow passersby catch glimpses of the magnificent alter. As part of this work we were asked to put forward proposals for a new ‘piazza' to the front that could serve as a greeting place for the various church functions.

Architecture | Interiors | Masterplanning | Project Management | Graphic Design

Paolo Polesel Architect / Ireland +353 85 707 6607 / Italy +39 0434 71 302 /  paolo@poleselarchitecture.com © 2016 by PoleselArchitecture

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