With Mark J. Štěpán about the reconstruction of the Litomyšl church
The breath of decay was actually fascinating, says architect Marek Jan Štěpán about the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross
The moment when architect Marek Jan Štěpán first entered the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross in Litomyšl seven years ago is still vivid in his memory. “It was a very strong experience. The devastation and everything the church had gone through was strongly felt in the space. That breath of decay was actually fascinating,” he says. |
| Photo by Ota Nepilý |
How did the church impact you back then?
Very strongly. There were traces of leaking in many places, some plaster was falling off, in some places there were twenty centimeters of dead pigeons, and you could see that birches used to grow there. The church's furnishings were partly damaged, dismantled, some remained in storage, but no one had a complete overview of where everything actually was.
Did you know right away what you wanted to do with the space?
Not at all. It was a long process during which we studied the history of the Piarists as well as the history of the place itself, consulted with historians, but also sought new meanings for the church in today's time. The architect's work in this case did not consist of large interventions, but in the idea of what to do with such a large and unique space.
Why did you ultimately decide to turn the church into a multifunctional space?
For this church to function in the future and not have tendencies to decay, it was necessary for it to become a space open to both worship and culture. Only in this way can it maintain its viability. It largely involves a restored sacred function, but additional ones are added. Their layering then brings life to the building. The Piarists, who worked here until 1950, were a religious order whose mission was care for youth and their education. Theater was performed, music was produced, and in a way, it also served as a place of learning. However, the spiritual charge of the church has not diminished despite the long period of silence; the church will still primarily have a sacred character.
You have a lot of experience with the construction and reconstruction of various sacred buildings. How did the work on the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross differ from your other projects? How did you perceive the whole project, was it a challenge for you?
The project was different from others in its process – it is the only church I have worked on that is state-owned and entrusted to the care of the National Heritage Institute, and it was also financed by European grants. Both of these factors had a significant impact on the entire course, especially in terms of time. It was really not short.
Then there is a significant difference between working on a new church and the reconstruction of an old one. Currently, for example, we are working on a new church in Brno - Lesná, where I won an architectural competition twice. There, I can address the theme of contemporary liturgy much more. This has a big influence on the form and arrangement of the church space. This is limited with reconstructions.
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