7 Temples. The Forms of Worship in the Architecture of Federico Llorca

The exhibition “7 Temples. The Forms of Worship in the Architecture of Federico Llorca”, produced by the Ebre Branch in 2018, can now be visited until July 5th at the Ferrer Malet Hall of the Casa de l’Hospitalet de l’Infant.

The Ebre Branch of the College of Architects produced in 2018 the exhibition “7 TEMPLES. The Forms of Worship in the Architecture of Federico Llorca”, which presents a selection of churches representing 7 sacred spaces, all of which are either newly built or heavily renovated, designed in the brief period from 1959 to 1967, almost in parallel with the convocation and development of the ecumenical Second Vatican Council.

In this context of ecclesiastical renewal and liturgical adaptation to modern times, the effort of architect F. Llorca (Tortosa, 1920-1999) to respond to the demands of modern religious life must be understood. From his extensive body of work, this exhibition focuses on some of his proposals for buildings for Catholic worship.

This approach led the author to reflect on the essence and form of temples; to review the different scales of the buildings, even designing liturgical furniture in some cases; and fundamentally, to intervene in the space-light binomial where the architect from Tortosa achieved his most satisfactory results. From the functionalism of spaces where the faithful are the main participants in the ritual, to the drama of colored light filtered through stained glass, all aspects have been carefully thought out and skillfully sketched in the name of religious experience. An atmosphere of spirituality is also achieved thanks to close collaboration with other artistic disciplines. Altogether, it is a methodical and fruitful exploration of architectural solutions to plastically and sensorially approach the ideal temple and, ultimately, to facilitate closeness to God.

With a decidedly innovative language and without forgetting the austerity advocated by the Catholic Church, Federico Llorca designed new architectural forms for worship, establishing himself as a precursor of sacred modernity in the wide scope of the historic Diocese of Tortosa.

Now, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of the parish church of Sant Pere de l’Hospitalet de l’Infant, the exhibition travels to this municipality where it can be visited until July 5th.