The Parish Church of St Luke the Evangelist, Zagreb by Robert Križnjak & Roman Vukoja Architects

Croatia is one of the latest “It Countries” at the top of every tourist’s European must-see agenda. Its capital city is Zagreb, which can be further refined into the New Zagreb area, and refined further still to find the Travno quarter within. At the very centre of this quarter lies a pocket of green parkland, and a short distance away, looms something altogether gargantuan: the megavolume apartment block, Mamutica. True to its name – Mamutica means “Mammoth” in English – this 20-storey monolith is one of the largest communal housing blocks in southeast Europe, and is home to around 5000 residents, making it the largest building (by volume) in all of Croatia. But we are not on a mammoth-hunting expedition. No, to find the quarry of this pursuit we must look to the interstitial space between the monster and a small park nearby. Here, we find the Parish Church of St Luke the Evangelist: the heart of the Travno quarter, and the soul it so verily needed.

 For Robert Križnjak & Roman Vukoja Architects the church parish complex was conceived as a vessel of sorts: a project that would physically and symbolically introduce spirit and soul back into this residential hub, and into the lives of those thousands of people within the parish purview. The building itself is positioned on the western edge of that central green area, thus continuing the prevalent urban sequence, which groups the quarter’s public buildings – the school, kindergarten, cultural venues, media centre and now church – around the border of the adjoining park.

 The building is composed of two main volumes, each with an individual character and purpose. The first, dominating, contains the main church hall: both a sacred space, and a central building, in compliance with the Second Vatican Council Reform. Inside, the congregation surround the central altar, carrying forth the central concept of an alive, united community. Beneath this sacred space, in the basement depths of the main building, are the multi-purpose service seminars and lectures, and an internet club for young parishioners, as well as a storage room and sanitary facilities.

 Next to the church corpus, on the western side of the building, rests an annex of Parish House, devoted to engaging and developing the life of the community on a social, integrative level. When fully operational, the Parish House premises will contain a dense, inviting network of nurturing facilities, from the ground floor classrooms for religious teaching, Caritas offices, and parish office; to the first floor apartments for the parish priest and chaplain, kitchen, and large dining room. The first floor is also the point of connection to the main volume: a glass bridge corridor facilitating direct communication between the sacred space and the Parish House living areas. From the outside, these two volumes unite in cooperation. On the southern entrance side, the church and Parish House come together to meet the square plateau in front of the church entrance, which is ever so slightly extruded in relation to the surrounding area.

The penetration of sunlight has been a pivotal feature in ecclesiastical architecture since time immemorial: a symbol of the glory and munificence of the Lord. And here too, in the heart of Zagreb, with Mamutica on one side and a green oasis on the other, the light plays out its timeless role in many separate acts: a cross carved in a wall, the roof light cubes, a stripe of light over the altar, the way of the cross, in the tabernacle. And yet each feature is united by this theme of illumination, the subtle interplay of light and shadow emphasising not only the architectural idea, but also the sacredness of the space.

Sunlight being the bringer of life, the Parish Church of Saint Luke the Evangelist is a vessel for that light: becoming, as intended, a sacred source of ‘life’ for the congregation, the community, the city, and Croatia. +

IMAGES Courtesty of Ivica Bralic

1.The Parish Church of St Luke the Evangelist in Travno, Croatia is dwarfed by Mamutica: a 20-storey housing block that is home to 5000 residents, and one of the largest in southeast Europe. 2. The admission of natural light is essential in this small parish church, as in life, and in all ecclesiastical architecture. 3. Roof-level windows create a display of natural light above the altar. 4. The spatial layout encourages parishioners to feel centred around and engaged with the church community. 5. It is hoped that the church will serve as a new architectural and social landmark for the local community in Travno.