The traditional worship and social reality. Richard J. Neutra’s religious architecture

Abstract

This work will investigate the concepts and strategies developed by Richard Neutra around religious architecture and the recovery of these as a proposal for the 21st century.
In all periods, cultural variations, political convulsions and economic crises have led to the reconsideration of traditional forms of worship and worship. In his six religious projects planned and built between 1957 and 1968 (the Riviera, Claremont, Garden Grove and St. Andrew churches, the Miramar military chapel and the Congregational church-school), Richard Neutra suggested architectural solutions that not only embraced the values modern but also followed the traditions and dogmas of the Christian community.
In 1960, the Madrid magazine Informes de la Construcción published an article written by the same Neutra entitled "What aspect should a church have?" In that article, Neutra highlights three fundamental keys to project religious architecture that connects theology, the Christian practice and the current secular culture. These three keys include the absolute integration of architecture and its natural and physical environment; the pre-eminence of the inspired word; and the deep understanding of the ways in which the human being performs the act of worship.
In addition to the previously mentioned article, this work will discover other fundamental documents of Neutra, both published and not, such as «Science and religion through the experience of an architect», «Churches that fit into Creation», «Church and religion "and" Project an interior-exterior church "(UCLA). These articles will be used to highlight the depth of Neutra's thinking on the appropriate form of religious architecture.
Finally, the religious architecture of Richard Neutra will be proposed as a model for the architects of the 21st century to face the current division between postmodern life and traditional Christian worship.