The thousands of displaced people who fled the Haitian capital following the 2010 earthquake gave rise to the community of Camp Corail, an area located north of Port-au-Prince. In this context, the Scalabrinian missionary order established a new mission centered around the new St. Thomas Church, which was designed primarily to serve as a place of gathering and shelter for the new community.
The space is organized around a square plan divided into three naves. The entrance to the basilica features a reduced height and is particularly wide, creating a sense of a familiar and welcoming place. Moving toward the altar, thanks to the increasing height of the central nave’s portals and the light that filters through the clerestory and the apse in growing intensity, the space invites a more spiritual dimension where worshippers can reconnect with the divine.
Given the shortage of building materials on the island and considering the structure’s large spans, reinforced concrete and steel were chosen for the entire project.
Location
Port au Prince, Haiti
Year
2013
Typology
Edilizia religiosa
Surface
380 mq
Status
Completed
