Caplutta Sogn Benedetg

Church of Three Crosses

Architect: Peter ZumthorLocation: Surselva, SwitzerlandYear:1985-88

Architect: Alvar AaltoLocation: Imatra, FinlandYear:1955-58

Shell C: Community area dedicated to community services. Has an electrical system that makes wall

move and makes 3 shells into one space. Capacity increases to 800 people

Materiality:- Wood Timber Frame

- Wood Shingle Cladding (in sunlight - turns silver in the

north and black in the south)- Timber columns on the

interior- Metal ties anchor exterior

walls to columns

Materiality:- Reinforced Concrete- Woodwork has Black

mettalic and clear glass- Covers are usually concrete but covered with sheets of steel riveted for protection

from rain- Brown ceramic tile at the

center of woodwork- Materiality laternates

between rooms

Shell B: Parishioner area with room for 300

people. Has chamber with 2 floors that include

church services. Has a sculptural bell tower

Shell A: Has 3 accesses and is nearest the altar with the pulpit and the choir. Has an

opening at the top with ample lighting.

Entrance

CeilingShingle Cladding Seating

Altar

Characteristics:- Light

- Sound- Materials

- Experimentation- Moved away from purist

Modernism- Functional buildings

- Texture, color & structure- Site, material and form

- Details are important but are specific to the user

- Extensive use of white

April 26, 1943Zumthor is a Swiss architect known for minimalistic designs. He was the apprentice for a cabinet maker making him well attuned to preci-sion and detail which is evident in all of his work. He opened his own firm in 1979 and is best known for having his buildings “explore the tactile and sensory qualities of spaces and materials while retaining a minimalistic feel.” Zumthor finds it important to design a building for function and not form and takes a great deal of time studying the surrounding site and those who will inhabit the building before actu-ally designing it. He wants his buildings to be simple and elegant; making people aware of its presence while not overtaking the sur-rounding area. He takes a great deal of time studying light on his site allowing for light to become an integral part in all of his designs. He picks materials that will allow for the best light and shadow plays. His designs are subtle yet immensely detailed in the use and construction of materials.

February 3, 1898 – May 11, 1976Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer who not only designed architecture but also textiles, furniture, and glassware. All through his career Aalto designed with a concern for Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art; he gave special attention to the interior spaces as well as the exterior designing furnishings and lamps. Throughout his career Aalto’s style changed ranging from Classicism in his early stages to functionalism to experimentation to monumentalism in his final days designing. He opened his own firm in 1923 and designed mainly for single family homes in a very classical style. Aalto first received world attention with the completion of the Paimio Sanatorium in 1929 and Viipuri Library in 1935; they were the first buildings he had done in his new modernist style. During this time he began to play with the different uses of materials on his interiors. As he moved on to his experimentation years Aalto began to play with the different uses of wood. He became more daring in his designs but still paid close attention to the detail of the user. During the years prior to Aalto’s death he was working on larger scale projects including the town plan for Helsinki. He had come a long way from his early days design-ing single family homes. Many of his projects were carried out to completion even after his death under direction from his widowed wife, Elissa.

Characteristics:- Light

- Senses- Minimilism

- Importance to site- Attention to material

- Pure Aesthetic- Idea of multiplicity

- Importance to function of building, not shape

- Builds for the experience of the user as opposed to the

spectator. All facets of design evident through use over

time- Air/ Light/ Sound/ Material

are the Alphabets of his architecture. They speak for

themselves.

Comparative Analysis

Both architects give extreme importance to natural light and the use of materials.

Importance is given to detailing at both a large and small scale.

While Aalto’s site is in a flat urban area near a body of water, Zumthor’s site is in the

countryside on a steep hill with a hamlet in the south and a valley in the back.

Zumthor’s project primarily reacts to nature while Aalto’s mainly reacts to

sound.Zumthor’s response to the site, landscape and history gives rise to the shape of his

building.On the other hand, Aalto’s response to the

natural elements, like the sunlight and sound gives rise to the shape of the

structure.

The highlight of both buildings is the ceiling. In Caplutta Sogn Benedetg, the ceiling is shaped like a leaf and is lit by a clear story of windows. This draws ones eyes to the top, making one realize the

emphasis given to the strcture. Zumthor also uses the teardrop shape as a

reference to the former chapel which was constructed out of the hull of a boat.

In the Church of Three Crosses, the shells undulate, allowing for improved acoustics.

The undulations cause the ceiling to rise and fall in height, again drawing one’s eyes upward which also causes light to bounce

off the white interior, lighting up the space.

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