Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Muxima

Nossa Senhora da Muxima, located in Bengo, in Angola, at 130 Km from Luanda, it means “Heart” in Kimbundo language and it’s the largest Mariano centre in Africa. This project is based on the necessity of creating a new religious space in a poor context, developing itself in a new Church with 4000 people capacity, schools and other urban values and also in a big square to receive more than half of a million believers during the pilgrimages, which communicates in a sustainable way with the XVI Century Chapel, located in the core of this cult.

Structured from the basic principles of sacred geometry and cosmology, this project develops itself from a square (earth), a circle (sky) and a triangle (Holy Spirit) which translates in a cross of light that breaks the circular roof and allows the interior of the church to be seen from the sky. This church works not only as a spiritual light centre, but also of physical energy in the way that all the roof in photovoltaic panel functions as an energetic centre for the entire surrounding town. The church is understood here as an important factor of long term social and territorial economic development, of social practices of equal inclusion and regaining this way the formative character of the church’s own genesis.