An estate was acquired for the new Cisterian monastery, which included a Baroque manor house and three agricultural wings framing a courtyard.
The new monastery was designed by John Pawson, an appropriate choice for a monastic order with an historic "emphasis on the quality of light and proportion, on simple, pared down elevations, restrained detailing and spatial clarity."
Pawson's scheme preserves the Baroque manor, while replacing the three agricultural wings with new construction built upon the old footprints. The pared down elevations and space of the new Church is apparent in these drawings.
The existing buildings were extremely deteriorated, requiring extensive restoration -- carried out by Atelier Soukup -- and helping to determine what could be reused and what would need to be demolished.
Since construction started with the manor house restoration, by the time the Church began construction, monks were already living on site.
The shell of the Church was ready for Easter mass in 2003, with final completion and consecration of the Monastery and Church on September 2, 2004.
The circular form of the Church is the most distinctive exterior gesture of the design.
The cloister is one of the most important aspects of the monastery. This corridor outside the church space borders the cloister, its barrel-vaulted space recalling traditional courtyard loggias as well as the Church exterior.
This circular shape is carried through effectively to other parts of the design.
The main church space is very simple, but this simplicity is balanced by dramatic lighting and a grand scale.
Some details:
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