Designing a congregation space for the Miami Catholic community requires
an understanding of the identity of a multicultural group and the
ability to translate it into a representative building. We were asked to
design a Catholic Church devoted to the Mexican Virgin Our Lady of
Guadalupe. FREE chose to incorporate other Latin American cultures as
well, by representing all 27 Latin American Virgins.
The 27 Virgins are accommodated around Our Lady of Guadalupe’s figure,
creating 27 small sanctuaries. In a single gesture, the extrusion of
this floor plan results in an organic, corrugated form; resembling the
pleats of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s cloth.
The vertical shape stands out of its context, and the volume is rotated
towards the corner for more visibility. A roof light at the top filters
natural light into the congregation space, projecting the image of Our
Lady of Guadalupe in the presbytery.
The main entrance distributes to the main congregation space,
ambulatory, confessionals and community service area in the level below.
At the rear, a reserved area contains the sacristy, preparation and
changing rooms, offices, small library and working spaces for the priest
and personnel. The iconic shape performs an acoustic filter and
dramatizes the ecumenical atmosphere of the church, outlining its
identity in the metropolitan area of Miami.
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