'SACRED SPACES' architectural illustration of iconic holy buildings

SACRED SPACES: André Chiote translates contemporary religious architectures into graphic illustrations

With the ‘Sacred Space’ series of graphic posters the Portuguese architect and illustrator pays tribute to Oscar Niemeyer, Alvaro Aalto and Frank Lloyd Wright’s holiest achievements.

SACRED SPACES by André Chiote - illustration by André Chiote.

SACRED SPACES architectural illustration series by André Chiote – All illustrations by André Chiote.

Graphic Design & Architecture – The Sacred Spaces project highlights the most distinctive features of each architecture with simplified geometries. “Illustration awakened me to the ability of synthesis removing all those secondary and disposable elements of the building.” Says Andrè Chiote to Archipanic. “Ultimately I found out that this exercise works in both directions: from the architect to the illustrator and the other way around.”

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The collection comprises illustrations of Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, France, the Santa Monica Church by Vincent+Ramos in Madrid. Sacred Spaces includes also iconic buildings by Eero Saarinen, Mario Botta and more.

Iconic brutalist buildings like the Cathedral of Brazilia by Oscar Niemeyer, San Francis de Sales Church by Marcel Breuer in Muskegon, US, and Alvaro Aalto’s Parish Church near Bologna, Italy, are featured as well. “I think Brutalist architecture is an approach that I really admire because buildings are designed with volumes, light, shadows and without accessory and unnecessary elements. More truth and less juggling“, tricks and firework.

Chiote worked on churches by Alvaro Siza, SOM, I.M. Pei, Peter Zumthor and AZL Architects as well as Zvi Hecker’s Military Academy Synagogue in Israel by and the Al-Irsyad Mosque by Urbane in Indonesia.

Each illustrations begins with a work of study. “After that research I began to know what details or views usually are more recognizable. Also, I use my architect’s intuition and vision to use that views and details of the buildings that are already in the collective memory of the History of Modern and Contemporary Architecture”.

“I think that, as I am an architect, the vision I have about the buildings and the knowledge about the best iconic details to communicate, makes the difference.” Adds Andrè Chiote.