Continuing on with some of our considerations of contemporary, traditional ecclesiastical architecture, today I turn your attention to a project executed by McCrery Architects, based out of Washington D.C., for a Catholic campus located in Virginia. McCrery sets the background for the project as follows:
McCrery Architects provided full architectural services to the Corpus Christi Catholic Church for construction of a new Catholic campus including buildings and grounds to be built on 17.9 acres of undeveloped land in Loudon County, Virginia. The campus is to include the phased development of a new Church with seating for 1,200 Faithful, a new Parish Center, a new Rectory, and a new Kindergarten through Eighth-Grade school with space for over 600 students.Construction of the new church building was completed Spring 2021. The church is built in a Gothic style to incorporate and build upon design documents that have been provided to Corpus Christi previously.
With that in mind, we will begin with some considerations of the exterior of the church itself, constructed from a beautiful coloured stone.
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The interior of the church follows a traditional model, with gothic arches found along the vault, and a blue painted ceiling of the sort that is quite commonly seen within medievally inspired architecture. (The visual impact of which should not be underestimated).
As we move toward the sanctuary we find a beautiful brass altar railing separating the sanctuary from the nave, as well as a beautiful marble altar of sacrifice, executed by Rugo Stone.
Located behind this noble altar is yet another of equal beauty -- what is today often referred to as an "altar of reservation."
The church also features a beautiful and simple gothic-styled baptismal font, pleasingly and symbolically located within the narthex of the church, symbolizing that it is through baptism that one enters the church.
A worthy piece of contemporary sacred architecture.
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