Liam McCormicks Church Architecture

Liam McCormicks Church ArchitectureFig 1 Photograph St Aengus, Burt________________Word Count 2,439Liam McCormick is one of the well-nigh recognised architects in modern-day Irish perform computer computer architecture. He has introduced design principles in his buildings, which were non completely innovative and unique, solely were somewhat radical in Ireland at that time. One of the most famous performes that he knowing was St. Aengus Church, Burt that was built over the period of 1964-67.When examining Liam McCormicks fetch at Burt we can see similarities in the midst of his ideologies and design principles that other famous architects take away also employed in their architectural score. However, the question is, who and what helped inspire him? What are the melodic themes, frameworks and methods behind the overall design? all told these questions culminate in the construction of this remarkable church service.McCormick political machineefully selected a site, whi ch lies directly below the ancient fort of Grianan an Ail to each one. The land itself stretches d feature to Lough S allowy below and benefits from the impressive views of the border countryside.What I find most interesting is McCormicks distinct ability to read a site and produce remarkable buildings from that. This alone sets him apart from many of his Irish church architectural peers. It is obvious that when he designed Burt Church he had taken inspiration not only from other architects but also from the contact context in which the church integrates itself.With the site organism located adjacent to the Grianan an Aileach fort, McCormick has taken the fundamentals from its historic design and implemented them within his modern church concept. By doing so he has blended historic precedent with the functional and aesthetic requirements of what he believes a modern church should have. at that place is no interrogative that Grianan is the inspiration behind the tradebill form of the church at Burt. The idea of a circular church was radical and it had not been attempted in Ireland before.1With the church being combine with the surrounding landscape, McCormick has ultimately m fruit drink the church and the land at one with each other. This has a religious signification of the church being part of graven images Earth. This allows the feeling that the parishioners can be closer to their faith, or feel more at home within this type of church.McCormick himself commented on the church and how it integrated with the land and also the great attention to detail that was employed by all that worked on the building.It is not often that a building is found, such as the little country church, which speaks so clearly of the loving care which has been lavished on it by the architect, builder, client, artists, craftsmen and everyone connected with it. This is as perfect an example of integration with its magnificent site, as it is, probably possible to achieve.2McCorm ick has created a romantic relationship of form and material with the historic fort, which lies above Burt church. McCormick has sensitively merged the church into the site, by choosing to use indispensable stone for the walls and copper for the crown. In utilising these materials McCormick has helped blend the church into the ground in which it resides.The church has been cleverly designed so that you can approach it from two sides. in that location is a path from the car park directly opposite and gentle rising steps from the road below which congregate at a cobble edged circle outside the entrance to the church. In a way McCormick is using his design to symbolise bringing people together from all directions of life, something that both religion and the church have aimed to achieve. However, they might not have succeeded successfully in this venture.Fig 2 Photograph Church approach from laneand car park. St Aengus, Burt.When you first approach the church you feel wish you ar e setting foot into another world, or have simply stumbled on to some hobbits hearth from Lord of the Rings. Though as you climb the steps you get a feeling that it is filled with delightful architectural moments, humble and honest in their appearance, but cleverly resolved in the craft of their creation.McCormick achieves a sense of arrival with this skilfully designed approach. His approach leads you to a concrete canopy where a meet of solid doors covered with beaten cooper with glazed side panels lie below. The low-ceilinged entrance lobby emphasises the height and size of the circular body of the church. McCormick has guardedly thought through every little detail of this building and how each element will affect the appearance, feel and flow of the building to its recipients.The buildings circular jut has a clever second internal circular wall, which is placed loosely to the exterior this in turn creates not only the circular external faade but a circular internal layout di sguising the auxiliary accommodation for the church, discretely from the congregation.Fig 3 Plan St Aengus, Burt.The circular form of Burt means that at that place is no typical front or rear elevation it also means there are no hidden external areas. Walking around the building reveals dilate that are both clever and subtle, and which contribute to the creation of a building that is at once vernacular and innovative. The external stonewall is constructed with a barrel like profile (inspired by Grianan an Aileach).A band of brightly coloured stained glass runs the entire circumference of the church on top of the inner circular wall. The outer circular stonewall carries the secondary glazing through which light penetrates the stained glass allowing the chapel to be flooded with coloured light that gives an almost kaleidoscopical effect. With the ring of glazing being positioned between the hood and the external walls there is an impression that the roof is floating, this is ampli fied during the hours of darkness when the lights are on. Similar to Le Corbusiers work at Ronchamp, although comparing the two would be like comparing Salisbury Cathedral to the Notre Dame.The sculpted copper roof is perhaps the most remarkable element of the building, which climaxes in an unsymmetrically placed spire. The position of the spire is dictated by the location of the altar inside the church, the glazed lantern in the spire brings natural light down into the church over the altar resembling something out of a film. McCormick has purposely designed this in order to create dramatic effect within the church. The light from God so to speak, giving a very religious feel to the church. If the lantern had lit the entire church, the same effect wouldnt have been possible. This is also similar to Le Corbusiers design in Ronchamp.McCormick made the roof part of the overall composition, a piece of art in which to attract people. With the roof being visible for miles in the surrou nding area, he created a roof, which took a sculptural form, with expression in material.Within the church there are a number of structural pillars placed throughout which a appear to be not in contact with the roof by making them thinner and darker at the top, this also forms the roof appear to float, as there are no lines linking the glass to the roof.To the exterior the metaphors continue, there are a number of pools strategically placed around the building to catch the rainwater from the roof that is distributed via concrete spouts placed above the stonewall. It is Christian belief that water is a blessing and with this in mind it is as if the church is being blessed when its raining. Which as many know is quite often in Ireland, some say we are born with webbed feet This is yet another incorporation of religion within the overall design.Fig 4 Photograph Detail of circular pool andrainwater spout. St Aengus, Burt.McCormicks handling of rainwater demonstrates the thought proces s that went into making sure each detail was correct. He also took great care and consideration when selecting the materials to be use, he salvaged cobblestones locally to use for the perimeter of the church, which is paved with granite cobblestones.McCormick felt that his churches should be socially correct, that the church should reflect the society in which it was to serve both by means and nature. In other words, if the society was mainly lower class, there was no point in building a church that portrayed wealth that would make the societys congregation feel both uncomfortable and unwelcome, not to mention rest out like sore thumb from the surrounding area.McCormick carefully put forward an argument for modernism within the Irish Church architecture, he used authentic materials, which would be familiar to the community that the church would serve, and also suitable to the climate in which it was to withstand. He used modern structural techniques without becoming unknown to the craftsmen employed to carry out the construction. After all, he wanted to create a piece of art and architectural beauty that was fitting to Donegal at that time, and in doing so he required excellent craftsmanship in order to achieve his masterpiece. McCormicks design of Burt demonstrates an enthusiasm to develop a modern church architecture appropriate to the Irish context.McCormicks masterly use of materials and high quality of workmanship, with the attention to detail evident in the construction of the building, are remarkable and were ground-breaking at the time. There is an essence from his designs that he draws extensively on things, which interest him outside of his architectural design. He obviously has a great love for the Irish landscape and what elements make up such landscape the stones, rocks and the rainLiam McCormick manages to invoke an emotional reaction from those who experience his church. In some respects its seems like he is playing God with architecture.People respond emotionally to his buildings, which is the rarest and highest praise any architect can receive.3It is clear McCormick was a collector of ideas. He studied and visited European works, it was the backbone of his modern approach to design he was enlightened with architectural ideas and solution from abroad.4 He then brought this forward mentation approach to Ireland within his church designs. His process of originality and thinking is what created the architecture that Liam McCormick produced, and what sets it aside from other architecture, in particular the tradition of Hand-me-down church architecture in Ireland.5Although many of his ideas where of original nature, he took great decide from other architects and allowed some of their ideologies and design principles to influence his own work.Corbusier, Gropius and Alvar Aalto were among McCormicks stated influences. He particularly admired Aaltos sense of scale, location and economy.6McCormicks architecture can be seen as s omewhat a conversion to Functionalism.7 His buildings are not only functional for the job they are intended for but also embrace an organic architecture that can be compared to ideologies of Alvar Aalto.To everything its proper place, a setting dictated by its owns demands, its own aesthetic. And everything should be connected with the community served by the town 8(Aalto 192420).In Aaltos own words Nothing does a town greater honor than a well-developed public life and functional public places 9(Aalto 1924 20).Both Alvar Aalto and Liam McCormick share the unprecedented idea that society lives and survives by the architecture that is created.In Aaltos article the Humanizing of Architecture10 he examines how human beings react to forms and construction. McCormick also believes in creating architecture that pulls on the emotions of the occupant, just as Aalto designed The Paimio Sanatorium, he tried to emphasise the environmental qualities of where his architecture was to reside.Also like Alvar Aalto, McCormick believed in a total work of art, creating a picture as a whole, he was a great believer in incorporating art within his buildings and this is notably present at Burt, with prominent Irish artwork included. Even though McCormick took influence from other Architects, this did not make his work any less original. The concept that being influenced by a person or piece of work can lead to either imitation or a piece of work that to some extent can be taken to a contrasting level. This is debated prominently in the Anxiety of Influence, of how influence doesnt necessarily have to be a bad thing nor does it mean that the subsequent piece of work will be better for it.But poetic influence need not make poets less original as often it makes them more original, though not therefore necessarily better.11McCormick has not only managed to create an original piece of Irish church architecture but has also managed to avoid the pressure of influence, which could have ma de him imitate old architects work. As a result he has created a lasting piece of modern architecture that has added value not only to its landscape but also the local society. The design of Burt Church actually helps enhance the religious message in which the church bestows on to its patrons.In conclusion, regular the most creative of people whether they are architects or artists, all take influence from others work. In some respects, it is a degree of respect/admiration of previous work, in others it is simply a way to generate further ideas or take an idea further than before. McCormick certainly has done this with Burt Church, with his clever use of material and form to blend the church with the surrounding landscape but yet give a hint of pleasure and intrigue which the use of the sculptured roof alludes to. He has managed to not only create a radical new Irish church architecture but has developed ideas from others such as Alvar Aalto, in order to create a complete masterpie ce of work.Bloom, Harold, The anxiety of influence a theory of poetry, New York Oxford Oxford University Press, c1997Larmour, Paul, and Shane Toole. North by northwest the life and work of Liam McCormick. Dublin Gandon Editions for Irish Architecture Foundation and Irish Architectural Archive, 2008.Pollard, Carole, and Liam McCormick. Liam McCormick Seven Donegal churches. Co. Cork Gandon Editions, 2011.Websiteshttp//archiseek.com/2009/1967-st-aengus-church-burt-co-donegal/ Accessed celestial latitude 12th 2016http//www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/liam-mccormick Accessed celestial latitude 12th 2016The Functionalist Awakening of Alvar Aalto, Alvar Aalto Museum http//www.alvaraaltoresearch.fi/files/4213/6033/3603/AAM_RN_Quecedo.pdf Accessed December 12th 2016http//archistory.korea.ac.kr/archive_110919/Articles/09%20Aalto_and_Humanizing_(JAABE_200905).pdf Accessed December 12th 2016List of IllustrationsFig 1 Photograph St Aengus, Burthttp//www.inchhouse.com/reviews Ac cessed December 12th 2016.Fig 2 Photograph Church approach from roadway and car park. St Aengus, Burt.http//imma.gallery-access.com/intl/en/tour.php?a_id=12Accessed December 12th 2016.Fig 3 Plan St Aengus, BurtPollard, Carole, and Liam McCormick. Liam McCormick Seven Donegal churches. Burt Gandon Editions, 2011.Fig 4 Photograph Detail of circular pool and rainwater spout. St Aengus, Burt. https//herdesignjournal.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/st-aengus-burt-chapel-by-liam-mccormick/ Accessed December 12th 20161 Paul Larmour, An Architectural life North by Northwest, (Gandon Editions, 2008) P.49. interpreted from RIAI Yearbook 1972 (RIAI Dublin), P.232 Paul Larmour, An Architectural life North by Northwest, (Gandon Editions, 2008) P.49. Taken from RIAI Yearbook 1972 (RIAI Dublin), P.233 http//archiseek.com/2009/1967-st-aengus-church-burt-co-donegal/ Accessed December 12th 20164 Tracy recalls McCormicks use of literature and magazines. with his almost encyclopaedic mind. Referencing, the ar chitectural review, Domus, LArchitecture dAujourdhui, Architectural record, Bouw and werk. Joe Tracy, Forty Years with Liam North by Northwest, (Gandon Editions, 2008) P.2205 McCormick describing the tradition of hand me down copies of transitory fashion comparing Ireland to the vernacular traditions of Finland by Aalto. Liam McCormick, remembrance of things present North by Northwest, (Gandon Editions, 2008) P.186 http//www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/liam-mccormick Accessed December 12th 20167 The Functionalist Awakening of Alvar Aalto, Alvar Aalto Museum http//www.alvaraaltoresearch.fi/files/4213/6033/3603/AAM_RN_Quecedo.pdf Accessed December 12th 20168 IBID9 IBID10 http//archistory.korea.ac.kr/archive_110919/Articles/09%20Aalto_and_Humanizing_(JAABE_200905).pdf Accessed December 12th 201611 Harold Bloom, The anxiety of influence a theory of poetry, New York Oxford Oxford University Press, c1997, P. Introduction 7.