plano humano completes all-white pastoral center in portugal

in moscavide, portugal, plano humano arquitectos completed the pastoral center of moscavide, a building hosting a range of facilities that include catechesis rooms, funeral chapels, and the parish residence. due to the close proximity and connection with the church of santo antónio of moscavide nearby, a heritage building known to the area, the two buildings stand out as landmarks representing two eras that, although different, complement each other as reference points in the community.

all images © joao morgado

the sunlight enters onto the resurrection chapels and create an almost ethereal sense. a large central skylight unifies all the space and invites a constant stream of light into the interior of the building. the different in-house spaces –due to their different requirements– dictated the programmatic display that progressed from more public to more private spaces, which in turn becomes a more isolated and introspective environment leading to the funeral chapels.

plano humano arquitectos decided upon a minimalist simple volume in articulation with the adjacent church that appears monolithic. the slender lamellae lining the entire facade de-materialize and soften the austere volume, providing a spiritual and incorporeal atmosphere, whereas in the interior, a sensation of shelter and introspection is achieved from the play of natural light. the final result is a simple, clean, and contemporary interpretation of a religious program. together with the volumetric spaces, and the link between natural and artificial light, this has resulted in a somewhat graphic building that invokes an ethereal and liturgical character.

project info:

project name: pastoral center of moscavide
location: moscavide, portugal
architects: plano humano arquitectos | pedro ferreira, arq. e helena vieira, arq.
engineering: gaplr | luis reis, eng
client: paróquia de santo antónio de moscavide
main contractor: odraude  
use: religious  
area: 1729 sqm
project year: 2016

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