Driving through Woy Woy on the weekend, I couldn’t help but notice the St John the Baptist Catholic Church.
I didn’t have a camera, so just snapped with my mobile. It’s a bit scrappy, but you can see more in a project overview from the building’s designer PMDL.
The $4.5million, all steel, 500 seater building replaced two Central Coast churches, and according to PMDL, gives the new parish a distinctive new identity for the 21st century.
Its plan symbolises the faith journey. From a prominent traffic intersection, a covered pedestrian way directs visitors toward the main entry, on axis with and in sight of the community’s ‘holy table’ … a Christian’s ‘destination’. But, upon reaching the building edifice, one discovers that entry to the church is not direct. Instead it requires a ‘journey’ through the ever widening, conch-shaped gathering space. Along the journey, a series of four devotional shrines ‘feeds’ and prepares the traveller for liturgy. At the end of the journey are the church doors, through which the path to the altar is announced by the waters of baptism and watched over by the Word.
The forms are bold, but simple, evoking maritime characteristics without literal reference. Sacred spaces are clad with natural zinc; circulation and support spaces with render. The new church was dedicated by Bishop David Walker on 18 November, 2007.
It’s a smartly designed building in sustainability terms. Rainwater is stored and re-used for irrigation and toilet flushing, the building has solar-heated hot water, extensive natural light and ventilation.
But ‘distinctive’ is right – architect Randall Lindstrom (formerly Prism studio) is reputedly renowned for liturgical design – and the roof is pretty much astounding.
Bruce Holland (Kingston Building) said:
The building is clad in Titanium zinc sheeting, which gives it a very modern appearance at first but which will weather over time to develop a beautifully mottled grey appearance.
Ahem, how do I say this? Aesthetically unpleasing?
