Building Pictures has released the video of Felgueiras Church designed by FCC Arquitectura in Felgueiras, Portugal. The 2-min film about the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Felgueiras, a FCC Arquitectura project, and produced by Building Pictures, portrays the involvement of Lagares community in the building's opening day ceremonies.

This project, which took more than 15 years to complete, had the support of the entire community in the construction of the church. So, it was very a very special moment for all the people who were present and for all that were involved in the project. 

Video by Building Pictures

The film documents the planning for the inaugural day of the Church of Lagares. It all starts early in the morning with the preparation of a flower carpet surrounding the nearly empty church.

The first people start to arrive and observe the construction curiously. The brass band starts playing the first chords and the atmosphere is familiar and festive. 

The film moves to the interior of the church, still empty, waiting for the bishop to begin the ceremonies. The sculptures and altars of Paulo Neves are in harmony with the light that invades the numerous windows that cover the room.

The procession begins in the outside and the bishop of Porto makes his way over the flowered carpet to the interior of the Church, where he presides the inaugural Mass of the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Church. The film ends in the exterior with fireworks and the whole community gathered in celebration.

Designing a church seems to us to be an ideal instrument in searching for a symbolic, mystical and expressive dimension. As History has taught us, the alliance between art and religion offers mankind unique, magical and exalting moments that enrich life, mind and soul.

The church, as a material construction and human representation of the Divine, plays a very important role in the development of sensibility. For believers and lay people, it is a living sign that conveys a transcendent meaning that makes us look beyond what we see, and take time to feel our lives at a deeper level.

The first impressions and ideas emerged in the first visit to the field. The traits and forms were cleared, supported by symbols that seemed important, expressive and appropriate to our intentions. The curved line was imposed from the beginning, as a gesture and as a form associated with reception and protection.

The shape of the fish, such a strong image for the Catholic religion and symbol of Jesus Christ the Savior. The drop, the water. Symbol of purification and blessing, it is associated with the ritual of initiation in the Christian life (baptism).

The conventional tracing, scheme of the axial plant so characteristic of classic Christian churches. The curved shape like the head of the church that is your body.

The streets that border the terrain have steep slopes. The church sits on an intermediate platform. Two curving walls, almost completely loose from the ground, direct people to the main entrance of the church. The layout of these walls was conditioned by key landmarks inside the building: they will pass over the baptistery, the tabernacle, and the altar, thus forming the directives of space.

Video facts

Produced by: Building Pictures 

Directed by: Sara Nunes

Camera: Sara Nunes; Maria Gonçalves.

Post-production: Sara Nunes ; Maria Gonçalves.

Sound Design: Ana Pedro

Music: FireFly Music

Press Manager: Maria Brito

Location: Felgueiras,Lagares.

2019| 2’ 41’’ | 16:9

All images (from the video) courtesy of Building Pictures 

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