The complex of monastic buildings with St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Jaroszówka

Adam Stafiniak

doi:10.5277/arc120115

Abstract

A designing problem of the monastery can be generally described as a difficulty in creating the space of sacrum, i.e. the space which facilitates concentration and which has a tranquilizing influence on the user. The analysis of the existing solutions, although it is helpful in understanding the phenomenon, does not constitute the primary source of knowledge. A greater emphasis should be placed on man, man’s psyche, and various ways of exploring and feeling the space.

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The complex of monastic buildings

with St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Jaroszówka

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Introduction

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Monasticism

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Guidelines

DOI: 10.5277/arc120115

134 Presentations

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approach as the one applied in urban planning as in fact

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its further operation or decrease its aesthetic qualities. What

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through all successive stages a space adequate to the needs

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context.

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Its inhabitants should perceive it as diverse and as a result

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the heart of the design.

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requires the assurance of the possibility to satisfy future

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spite of being insufficient to provide enough food, due to their

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Fig. 1. Site

Il. 1. Sytuacja

Idea

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design. The easiest logical way to separate a given area is to

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Presentations 135

operate provisionally. The idea is to divide the enterprise into

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of the “wall” would prevent the necessity to build a separate

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external walls. That is why functions were planned in six

separate buildings, each of which was protected by external

walls without significant perforations, opens only to its inter-

nal courts with diverse, abundant gardens. The functions

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shapes of buildings and different kinds of division of eleva-

tions were analyzed. It was decided to choose the design

with a centrally located church surrounded by the first

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The proportions, relations between individual build-

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plicity. In order to achieve an effect of lightness as well as

a strong connection of these buildings with earth at the

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136 Presentations

The sacred space was created by building up borders

to be crossed over by pilgrims. The first of them was

a low concrete wall at the edge of the monastery painted

white. White color, in stark contrast with the grass of the

meadow and forest surrounding the monastery, shall be

seen and recognized from far away as an ideological

representation of the sacred. That passage is allowed in

a designated place that is through an entrance gate

which, though it is open all the time, marks a mentally

perceived border (Fig. 8). Next pilgrims, approaching

the bare walls of monastic buildings covered with larch

shingles, begin to feel a kind of dread, discomfort, and

fear. Their eyes, however, focus on a large glazing

through which they can see the life going on inside and

on crosses glaring in the sun which extend above the

walls. Finally, they get to the monastery gate which is as

narrow as the “eye of the needle.” The uncertainty about

what they are going to see builds up in them. This is

when they go across the border of the walls and this is

when they are dazzled by what seemed from outside

austere and cold, is clear, elevated, and fresh inside (Fig.

9–11). The next border is the orthodox church building.

When they enter it from the daylight court the pilgrims

are surprised by a dimmed and quiet interior with bright

candle flames and light flowing from the openings in the

ceiling and walls (Fig. 12, 13).

Fig. 8. View at front gate

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Fig. 12. View at iconostas inside orthodox church

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Fig. 13. View at choir inside orthodox church

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Fig. 9. View at orthodox church entrance

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Fig. 10. View at orthodox church main court

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Fig. 11. View at garden in workshops and library section

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The sacred

Presentations 137

Beauty is the distinctive feature of the Eastern Orthodox

Church and its theology is full of mysticism; it is a legacy of

Hellenistic culture, Platonism and Neo-Platonism which

developed until the fall of Constantinople. It is clear in East-

ern Orthodoxy that God is revealed in art and art without the

sacred space quickly dies or it is not possible at all. The liturgy

affects the faithful with beauty in every possible way. All

human senses are affected. Hearing – the beauty of choral

signing, intonations, diversity; vision – icons, iconostasis,

theatricality of rites; smell – incense, aromatic oils. Architec-

ture must conform to that thought too. Architecture is per-

ceived here in a similar way to that by Peter Zumthor or

Herzog & de Meuron. Historically, the aesthetic simplicity

was imposed by limited means and that restriction forced

designers to apply well-thought-out solutions. An objective

must have been achieved despite unfavorable circumstances

– frequent robberies and damage. The aesthetic effect was

supposed be intensified and built up in the inhabitants through

different simple measures. Today, the aesthetic simplicity,

which is achieved though incomparably huge means, is the

result of the development of art that achieved what the “spir-

itual artists” created then and what proved timeless.

Due to their symbols, all ecclesiastical buildings tend

to direct the eyes of the viewers upwards, maximizing the

perception of vertical divisions. Logically, one could come

up with the idea to use only those. However, the space cannot

be described only with the use of vertical direction. Let’s take

for instance a vertical line. One such line will not create

space but if two lines are used, their ends will mark horizon-

tal direction (the lines must end somewhere). The way an

architect copes with that uppermost horizontal direction

determines the quality of the ecclesiastical architecture. The

most original result of that thinking is the use of barrel vaults

or domes where the vertical directions shaped by the curva-

ture of arches meet. They also symbolize the heavenly vault

by analogy of shape. However, both of these shapes cause

significant formal and aesthetic problems which have been

addressed over the centuries by using different kinds of

vaults (cloister, ribbed) and arches (pointed, flamboyant

arches.) The barrel must be closed by a wall, which causes

a formal disturbance in the place where the arch meets the

wall. Termination with an apse offered a kind of solution,

however, it caused a problem with the functioning of the

interior of the sanctuary (altar is a rectangular prism to the

left of which there should be a table of Preparation – a place

of preparation of the Holy Gifts). The dome placed on

a square base requires pendentives. This problem can be

avoided by using a circular base but then it makes it difficult

to expose the sanctuary and iconostasis.

The designers of the church decided to us a rectangular plan

with elongated sides for the sanctuary and narthex with a choir

above it. The design of the towers, typical of the Eastern

Orthodox Church, four corner ones and one in the middle,

symbolizes Christ and four evangelists. Each tower is a little

different just like the Biblical accounts of the apostles slightly

differ from one another. The elevations refer to the universally

known graphic symbol: the Golgotha cross where the mount

is symbolized by a pedestal. On top of the elevation, in the

shape of a stepped pedestal, there is a cross. The church ceiling

has five openings, additionally lit through the towers, symbol-

izing the stellar heavenly vault. At the bottom of the central

opening there is a mandylion (holy face of Christ).

Aesthetics

Symbols

Translated by

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Finishing elements

Two finishing materials were used on the elevations:

white cream Venetian plaster and oak or larch shingles.

The materials were selected in such a way as to contrast

the passage between different spaces. The edges of the

shingles straight, the cuts in the white plastered planes

with full boarding and the elevation timber impregnated

against water and fire. The color applied corresponds to

the windows and doors.

The interior of the orthodox church has stone cladding.

The interiors of the other buildings were designed as plas-

tered and with finish coat (Fig. 14). Mineral gray and

white paint to correspond with plastered elevations.

Fig. 14. Refectory

Il. 14. Refektarz

138 Presentations

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Key words: monastery, cloister, sacral architecture, orthodoxy, sacrum,

Orthodox theology

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