The Church of Pope John Paul II in Páty, Hungary, is a crescent-shaped building featuring skewed angles and whitewashed concrete that aims to turn "passive observers" into active participants of worship.
Local practice Robert Gutowski Architects filled the church in the village of Páty in Budapest with modern takes on traditional aspects of Medieval, ecclesiastical architecture.
The intention was to shift the emphasis towards the altar and the congregation to make the act of worship more engaging.
The Church of Pope John Paul II features an elliptical layout
Traditional churches typically have a rectangular floor plan and are made up of a nave ? the central part of the church ? and an apse ? the semicircular or polygonal area at the end of the aisle, usually located behind the altar. The Church of Pope John Paul II, however, has an elliptical layout, made up of the crescent-shaped building of worship that wraps around an adjoining oval-shaped outdoor space.
Therefore what would typically be the nave of a conventional church functions as the churchyard or garden, while the liturgical space is situated where the apse would be.
The church interior features whitewashed reinforced concrete ceilings and walls
As studio founder Robert Gutowski explains, this layout was designed to place more emphasis on the communal experience of the Eucharist and to "invite people closer to the holy act" at the altar.
"If you like, we invite people into the apse, surrou...