Forma e Organização do Espaço Litúrgico. Reflexões a partir de três igrejas paroquiais na arquitetura portuguesa do século XXI

Abstract

This dissertation is the problematization of the relation between form and organization of the liturgical space in contemporary Portuguese architecture. Through the three works that take part in this investigation as study cases, particularly the parish churches of São João Baptista, Coimbra, Promontório atelier (2015); of Anastasis, Saint- -Jacques-de-La-Lande, architect Álvaro Siza Vieira (2015-2018); and Santa Maria Maior, Meinedo, SpaceWorkers atelier (2016), this research allows to discuss the design subjects related to the process of conception of a contemporary church, from the scale of the building to the scale of objects: namely its image and relation with the urban context; the path and mode of entry; the location and characteristics of the various spaces that compose the whole; as well as the position and design of the liturgical elements. The analysis of the three churches also allows us to discuss the use of the centralized type and longitudinal type and the way in which the ideas of centered space and axial space reflect the current liturgical understanding. Recognizing the importance of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in introducing reforms in the liturgical understanding that influenced the architectural production from the second half of the twentieth century, as well as the enormous architectural production elaborated from the post- -conciliar period up to Today, this research discusses how contemporary architectural solutions continue to reflect the search for a greater active community participation and how they influence the religious experience of the faithful. Along with what has always happened throughout history, today's Portuguese architects also have the ability to read and interpret the local culture of each site, which allows them to create a close relationship between the particular context of the place and the project. Through the call for discussion and comparison of the cases under study with works in the history of architecture, some contributions were punctually introduced for a reflection on the meaning and idea of a Portuguese architecture.