Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture builds on historic monument imagery
Credit Jino Sam
Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture draws on historic monument imagery, but its use of transparent materials creates a fascinating edifice.
Mattancherry is a historic coastal neighborhood in southwest Kochi (Cochin), Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Situated away from the main Ernakulam city, it lies on the western edge of Vembanad Lake, adjacent to Fort Kochi, and is celebrated for its diverse, multicultural heritage. Built upon the foundation of a historic monument, this church restores the original, which is the first Christian church in Kerala, established in 1615 AD, and left in ruins after years of neglect and encroachment. It features stabilized earth blocks forming Nubian arches, with the altar and aisles supported by flying buttresses constructed without shuttering.
Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture
Credit Jino Sam
As a religious building for a small community, its realization required significant negotiation between the architect and a trusting client. The design was born from an exploratory spirit and pressing needs, evolving through ongoing dialogue among the site, masons, architect, and clients.
Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture
Credit Jino Sam
The church’s architecture builds on the imagery of historic monuments, but the transparent use of the material in its potential forms gives this building its distinctive character. The domes, vaults, and arches envelop a sublime central space, with light filtering through the cross (an inspiration from Tadao Ando) that frames the sanctuary.
The masons were trained to create these structures using a chain-study method first formulated by Antoni Gaudí and mastered by Hassan Fathy. Despite its influences, the church is a contemporary architectural work that takes advantage of the opportunity to build for a challenging program. By reinterpreting a historic construction technique and responding to the structure’s footprint on the site, the aim is to create a building made with earth that inspires awe and a sense of wonder with its rich spatial quality.
Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture
Credit Jino Sam
Wallmakers St. George Orthodox Church, Kerala, India, architecture
Credit Jino Sam
As demand for resources increases, it is the responsibility of architects to use materials with very low embodied energy. Mud, as a material, can be expressed in its true form through various methods such as earth blocks, rammed earth, wattle and daub, and many more. Our designs start with an exploratory spirit and pressing demands. They evolve through ongoing conversations among masons, architects, and clients, and through a clear understanding of the site and its surroundings.
At Wallmakers, the aim is to build sustainable spaces that are responsive to specific site contexts and conditions while maintaining a balance between innovative and utilitarian designs.
