ST. GREGORY'S PARISH COMPLEX IN AGRIGENTO

By Giuseppe Pellitteri - 18 June 2014

The cloister is punctuated by the rhythm of the pillars that frame the classrooms for catechesis, the parish hall and the chapel used for ceremonies during the week. This can be accessed directly from the centre of the cloister - passing in dim light under the massive cantilever of the church jutting out from the basement whole - where a crypt perfectly aligned with the presbytery and the velarium houses a chapel and opens only sideways to a small triangular garden. The church and the bell tower are clad in travertine slabs that recall the solidity and the foundational importance of the Roman Church and emphasize the sacredness of the landscape with its light and bright colours. Pivotal elements both of the entry and the central tower that culminates with the velarium are clad in Cor-Ten and reflect the colours of the earth, highlighting the shift from the physical dimension of Christian building (caducity of things) to the spiritual one (vivifying and salvific action). The floor-to-ceiling windows become a place for storytelling of artistic-religious themes, also expressed in the mosaics and other sacred items.

Location: Via Cavaleri Magazzeni, Contrada Cannatello, Agrigento, Italy Client: Curia Arcivescovile di Agrigento Completion: 2009 - 2012 Gross Floor Area: 3.300 m2 Cost of Construction: 3.284.000 € Architects: Giuseppe Pellitteri Collaborator: Dario Riccobono Artist: Enzo Venezia General Management: Giuseppe Pellitteri and Dario Riccobono Contractor: Azzurra Costruzioni S.r.l. Photography: © Alessia Riccobono and Giuseppe Pellitteri

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