Arch2O.com

Arch2O.com - Architecture & Design Magazine
Designed by the Portuguese Architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, the Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande features intertwining concrete masses.
Located in the south of Rennes, Brittany is a cultural region in northwestern France. Siza has selected insulated white concrete as the main building material for the building. White concrete is a material often made of pre-cast panels instead of white cement. This locally produced material is also used in the surrounding housing blocks and makes the church in harmony with the rest of the neighborhood.
Constructed using load-bearing walls, the building marks as the first church to be built in this area during the 21st century.
Courtesy of Álvaro Siza The Portuguese architect’s main priority was to integrate the church with the surrounding buildings. The social meetings and the administrative work take place on the ground floor while the church itself is on the upper floor.
Courtesy of Álvaro Siza
With a capacity of 126 people, the church includes a semi-circular apse where the tabernacle is found, reminiscent of old French churches but with modern geometries. These signature geometric volumes represent a common trademark in the design of the Pritzker Prize winner, who has also designed Nadir Afonso Foundation in Portugal , the Boa Nova Tea House and the Ibere Camargo Foundation in Brazil.
Courtesy of Álvaro Siza
Courtesy of Álvaro Siza
According to a statement from the studio, t...