• Don Bosco Catholic Church/ Space and Systems Architects

Architects: Space And Systems Architects  
Location: Upper hill, Nairobi,  Kenya
Project Team: Special Input: Fr. Tony Fernandez
Project Year: 1993
Photographer: Edwin Seda

This youth church stands out from the traditional Catholic Church which was more solemn, more linear and with cold colors in a curvilinear, natural lit stepped high volume space that remains true its spirit.

The composition of circular forms has been perfected where four independent circular forms are tied together by another circular cantilevering plane with conical roofs at the top. The resultant space forms neat curved seating that has sweeping and uninterrupted views of the altar and the entire space.The church maintains the stained glass for the windows as most church would but adds to that by the introduction of the staggered roof that creates roof lights between them that allow natural diffused light into the space lifting the spirit of the space and creating a more spiritual experience.

The materials in the interior of the church scale down the high volumes of the church to human scale without compromising on the high volumes associated with places of worship.

Its universal design approach of the church makes it a welcome to the physical challenged by having several ramps for its access. This is a response to the steep slope of the site that was a challenge in the design but has been used as an opportunity for creation of other supporting facilities for the church at the lower levels of the church which are still natural lit.

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Front

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Access

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Altar

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Seating

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Lighting

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Structure

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Fenestrations

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      © Don Bosco Catholic Church_Congregation

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