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Architects: Arkpro Studio Albania
- Area: 700 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Liridon Cani
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Lead Architects: Alfons Shtjefni
Text description provided by the architects. The river brings the stones, the air brings the ideas, and the light brings them to life. This is how the imagination for creating the new modern Catholic temple begins, the first of its kind in the Republic of Albania, designed and entirely built in Albania by an Albanian architect from local workers and materials.
The village where this temple is constructed is located near a river, and concrete is the most rational and suitable material in this landscape. Everywhere along the roads, you can see river pebbles because in the past, before the communist era, the river used to flow through this village. During the communist period, the village was relocated from above the river, to below the river, after a dam was built to divert the river to dry out the agricultural lands that were flooded in the Zadrima plain.
The architect is from this village and has a Christian background. He received his architectural education at the "Mendrisio Academy of Architecture in Switzerland." He graduated under the mentorship of a world-renowned architect, Mario Botta, and spent over a year as a student of the 2009 'Pritzker Prize laureate, Peter Zumthor. Subsequently, he worked and collaborated with several different architecture studios in Switzerland, where he also emerged as a winner in several international competitions held within these studios. The concept for the realization of this project emerged as a result of this young boy's education and his strong desire to create something unique and beautiful, to bring hope to this village.
The realization of this building demonstrates that throughout this period of transition, no church or religious temple was ever constructed in this village, unlike many other nearby villages. It is incomprehensible and unexplained how this was the case, perhaps because there is a beautiful church from the 1880s in the neighboring village, built entirely from stone. The architect could have chosen more classical forms for this project or straight lines, but he didn't. He opted for a curved form that is always inclusive. The form of the object shouldn't have sharp corners or angles, so it doesn't oppose anyone. It is a self-contained structure, and when you enter, you experience an extraordinary atmosphere.
Only by entering can you truly grasp what is inside. Some walls allow light to penetrate in only one direction. Stepping inside, you are taken back by the grandeur and height of this structure. As you approach the altar, the slope design of this structure creates a unique sensation, making you feel as though you are diminishing in size. In reality, when standing in front of the altar, you are 30 cm lower. It is a unique experience that the believers feel as they approach the altar of this temple.
All the natural light is meticulously directed toward the altar. The warm wooden roof, resembling the purity of a lemon leaf, served as the inspiration for this architectural choice. A warm roof made of wood, pure like a lemon leaf, from where the inspiration derives from. Today, the church has truly become the new village center. Every resident in this village now enjoys a distinct view from their houses. Furthermore, the existence of this Catholic temple is noticeable from the neighboring villages, in the Diocese of Sapa, located in northern Albania within the Municipality of Vau i Dejes, specifically in the village of Naraç.
