Oratory at Larkins Center

The integral design of oratories usually poses a number of challenges. In the case of the Larkins Center in Miami, presented the complexity of being a small space, with a gable roof that marks the essence of the place and hindered the aesthetic solution, in addition to the configuration of the front of the presbytery, with the presence of two accesses. In the images, we can compare the infographics presented to our client with the final result of the work.

Given these characteristics, we present a simple proposal, capable of effectively solving the space. Taking advantage of the height of the premises and its roof, we generate a neutral envelope that takes us to the idea of a chest where something of great value is kept, the heart of the house. In a neutral architectural space, it is the liturgical elements designed by GRANDA that confer a sacred atmosphere, with a modern and enduring artistic language that at the same time gives the place the warmth and seclusion appropriate for devotion.

The presbytery rises from a platform in the center of which are the altar and the tabernacle, where the marble frames the central iconographic motif, a painting of the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Guadalupe whose warmth contrasts with the general serenity of the environment. On both sides, two wood paneling panels serve as doors, but once closed, they offer the dignity that the presbytery needs during the celebration. The warmth and textures of the wood, together with the light filtered through the stained glass windows, bring the space to life.