Although the box-like structure of the Sanctuary of St. John Bosco (Santuário Dom Bosco) looks inconspicuous from the outside, inside it hides a spectacular chapel flooded with heavenly blue light. Built in the 1970s, the temple fits perfectly into the original modernist architecture of Brasilia, and its forms may bring to mind the master of this style – Oscar Niemeyer. The sanctuary is one of the most important churches in all of Brazil, and couples preparing for marriage wait years to get married there.
The capital of modernism
St. John Bosco is not only the patron saint of the sanctuary, but also of the entire artificially created city of Brasilia. It was this Italian clergyman who dreamed of a new metropolis to be built somewhere in the vast savannah between the coast and the Andes. In the 1960s, the Salesian’s vision became a reality, and today the capital of Brazil is filled with the amazing works of Oscar Niemeyer’s original modernism. You can read more about Brasilia and its architect, who bent concrete as he pleased, HERE and HERE.
It was the Salesians who funded the construction of a new church to honour the patron saint of the newly created metropolis. Work began in 1963, just three years after Brasilia was founded. However, contrary to appearances, it was not the city’s chief architect Niemeyer who was responsible for the modernist design of the church, but the little-known Carlos Alberto Naves. Although the similarities to Niemeyer’s most outstanding works, located a few hundred metres away, are obvious, Naves wanted to show something equally intriguing.
In contrast to the master
The massive, thick walls are like a cage concealing a delicate blue interior. The more than 80 columns surrounding the building may bring to mind ancient colonnades, but the architect’s real inspiration was the late Gothic windows of cathedrals. The soaring pointed windows rise directly from the ground and reach a height of 16 metres, contrasting with Niemeyer’s design.
The modernist palaces and administrative buildings in Brasilia are based on small posts (pilotis), and their shapes are dynamic, streamlined and sculptural. In contrast, the bodies of the representative buildings are largely box-like structures encased in suspended facades. For this reason, the Sanctuary of St. John Bosco stands out from other modernist works only upon closer inspection.
A gap in the colonnade marks the beginning (or end) of each of the four walls. The walls are bordered by crosses that are illuminated at night. However, the entrance is hidden in the central part of the façade, and the doors are decorated with bronze and iron reliefs. The carved doors depict events from the life of the city’s patron saint, and the clergyman’s likeness can be found in several other places in the form of sculptures.
Heavenly glass
What distinguishes the sanctuary of St. John Bosco is the incredible play of light. The large box-like space with exposed concrete is flooded daily with twelve shades of blue light. The glass arranged by Belgian artist Hubert van Doorne creates a “night sky” display that changes throughout the day. The temple contains over 2,200 square metres of coloured glass arranged in 140,000 square openings. Interestingly, between the shades of blue there are small squares of white, which create the effect of a starry sky.
Another glass masterpiece is a huge chandelier weighing about 2.5 tonnes. Over 7,400 pieces of Murano glass from Venice create a stunning 3.5-metre-high centrepiece of the temple. It is the glass and light that paint the raw concrete walls of the interior. The sculptural form visible on the ceiling is wavy, like ripples on water. The pink marble of the altar and several sculptures made of delicate grey Carrara marble break with this austere decor. The stained glass windows and copper accents of the tabernacle are small finishing touches.
Interestingly, the sanctuary was only granted this status in 2017, 47 years after its construction was completed. On this occasion, the relics (part of the right hand) of St. John Bosco were transported to the temple and placed in the crypt. Today, Naves’ building can be safely included in the pantheon of Brasilia’s modernist masterpieces. Although Santuário Dom Bosco is not as recognisable as Niemeyer’s designs, Naves’ original take on Brazil’s nascent national modernism is equally significant.
Source: Divisare
See also: Architecture | Sacred architecture | Brazil | Brutalism | Glass | whiteMAD on Instagram
