rediscovering a 1960s masterpiece, eladio dieste’s church of cristo obrero

for architecture, the post war period was a time of radical rethinking of materials. this new exploration of design created architecture with new shapes and spaces, the likes of which, the world had only dreamt of. this period realized the ideas of louis khan, eero saarinen, as well as many other lesser known designers. one was eladio dieste, an engineer and architect from uruguay. in the 1960s, he too was asking new questions about space and materiality. his curiosity is reflected in the projects he completed in his native country. in his successful career, he created some interesting works. this photography series by gonzalo viramonte,  gives a new chance to experience his work. this revolutionary church design from the 1960s remains equally fascinating and beautiful to this day. let’s take a look.

all images by gonzalo viramonte

eladio dieste loved using simple materials in new thoughtful ways. in modern architecture since 1900, he said: ‘for architecture to be truly constructed, the materials must be used with profound respect for their essence and possibilities; only thus can ‘cosmic economy’ be achieved… in agreement with the profound order of the world; only then can have that authority that so astounds us in the great works of the past.’ for the church of cristo obrero– constructed in atlantida, uruguay (just outside montevideo)– brick was the ideal material. brick is cheap and in south america, with it’s long tradition of adobe construction, dieste had many skilled masons to help him realize his vision. the architect combined his love of rhythm with his rigor for mathematics and the result is quite convincing.