Certainties and Questions regarding Modern Churches

A development of the modern sacral architecture in Europe in the 20th century is characterized by an interest in the liturgy of the early Christian communities, by the desire to authentically express the spirituality of modern man, and by the efforts to find a natural place for the church in terms of contemporary art. Alongside the liturgical current represented by Rudolf Schwarz and the plain forms of Miese van der Rohe (I.I.T. Chapel in Chicago), the expressive style of Le Corbusier's Chapel in Ronchamp also emerged at the same time. In Northern Europe sacral spaces opened up towards its surroundings consistently for the first time (Chapel in Otaniem). The architects of the second half of the century updated very old symbolic forms (nave, spiral) or biblical comparisons (tent, gate). The light and the path became universal images of the Spirit. New mountain chapels took up the tradition of pilgrimage churches. A deep understanding of liturgical reform, creative invention, but also openness and the goodwill of builders remain the basis of the Czech architecture, often varying in its message and quality.

Keywords: Modern sacral architecture; Symbolism-sacral structures; European and Czech churches of the 20th century