St. Wenceslas教堂位于捷克共和国一个名为Sazovice的小村庄。这个村庄里的人口只有不到700人。来自摩拉维亚的事务所Atelier Štěpán设计的新的教堂是一个现代圆形建筑。当地居民关于修建教堂的想法由来已久，从捷克内战时期就开始了。到了2011年终于得以付诸实践，并很快成立了教堂建设委员会。首要任务是选址：合适的位置可以强调教堂的精神。建筑师在地形图上找到了四处适合作为教堂基地的位置，其中只有一处位于Sazovice的中心位置。教堂设在这里可以建立与村庄及居民的完美联系。

Church of St. Wenceslas in Sazovice is a modern rotunda and contemporary architecture built on conservative principles from Moravian architectural office Atelier Štěpán. The idea of building a church in Sazovice dates from the interwar period. In 2011 the people of Sazovice brought the idea again and founded the association of church building. The first important task was to find a particular location, which would help to amplify the spiritual sense of church. According to the masterplan, we discovered 4 possible sites for the building. Only one of them was in the heart of Sazovice perfectly linked with the surrounding building structure and its social connections.

▼教堂外观，the exterior view

教堂位于村庄主干道的交汇处，是村庄里最显眼的建筑，与它神圣的地位相称。周围的环境环绕着教堂，如同一个坚实的港湾，这也寓意着教堂对于下一代的重要意义。其形式始于一个简单的圆柱体，它与基地完美的相契合。与此同时，圆也是一个神圣的符号，象征着天。与矩形所象征的尘世相对。建筑师还参考了捷克的守护神圣温塞斯拉斯时代的一座圆形大厅，在一个方形礼拜堂的周围建造圆形的外墙，然后遵循相同的比例建造了祭坛、入口和楼梯。据传说，圣温塞斯拉斯曾建了一座圆形大厅，与Sazovice教堂的尺寸相当。老圆厅建筑的遗址位于布拉格大教堂内，后来被一座哥特式方形礼拜堂所代替。圣温塞斯拉斯的遗迹位于布拉格礼拜堂，现在又有一部分位于Sazovice的圣坛中。在建造过程中，建筑师逐渐意识到在两座建筑之间的联系。于是这一联系被用在了设计当中：当人们站在祭坛前眺望主窗，视线将朝向布拉格的圣温塞斯拉斯礼拜堂。这也成为了一个重要的设计元素，也许从某种意义上来自于神圣的不可抗拒的力量。

The surroundings create a bay for the church that brings great importance to this place for following generations. Searching for the right form of the church started with a simple cylinder, which became a perfect volume for this place. The circle has always been understood as a divine symbol, in contrast to the worldly rectangle. The church establishes the focal point of the village, in the intersections of main directions and it makes you feel it’s a sacred place. The building refers to rotundas built in St. Wenceslas’ time in 10th century. He founded a rotunda, that has, according to the historical sources, similar diameter to the church in Sazovice. The old rotunda was rebuilt into a new gothic square shaped chapel within the Prague cathedral. We circumscribed a circle around the square and continued to design with the same proportions and positioning of altar, entrance and stairs. The relics of St. Wenceslas are in the Prague chapel and newly in the altar in Sazovice. During the construction, we discovered a connection between the both buildings. While standing in front of the altar and looking through the main window, designed by intuition, you are watching in the direction of St. Wenceslas chapel. This fact supports the rightness of the design and may be a result of a contribution of force majeure.

▼教堂位于村庄的中心，the church is located at the center of Sazovice

▼逐渐收分的墙体营造了轻盈感，the tapering wall creating a light atmosphere

▼建筑在阳光下呈现出丰富而细腻的光影，the  sun casting a rich and delicate light and shadow on the facade

▼清幽的绿色中教堂的纯粹几何形体成为唯一的焦点，the pure form of church surrounded by greeneries has been the focal point of view

“我的目标是让这个建筑非物质化。当你凝视教堂时，它带给你轻盈的感觉：逐渐变薄的墙体到了端头收为一条纤细的线条。如同将一个纸圆柱切开来探索它的无限可能性。通过推或者拉这些切口的方式创建了窗户，并让光从墙面温和的滑过。我总是相信，在物质世界背后存在着更美好的事物或是人。作为一名建筑师，我探索空间以及它对于人的影响。在体量、空间和墙的背后存在着神迹的映像。教堂影响着人的精神，无论人们处于有意或是无意中。它引导人们进入，为人带来宁静和平和。在这个私密性的空间内，你可以选择独自与上帝对话。”

“My aim was to dematerialize the building. When you observe the volume, you feel the lightness made by design principle of tapering the walls into tiny lines. It’s like cutting a paper cylinder and exploring its possibilities. I created the windows by pushing and pulling the cuts and letting the light glide softly on the walls. I believe there is something or better Somebody behind the material world. In Sazovice I tried to find it through the volume and defined space. As an architect, I explore the space and its impact on people. The church should influence people’s mind, whether they understand it consciously or subconsciously. This is the reflection of something divine in the volume, defined space and something what is behind the walls. The church invites us inside and provides a sense of quietness and peace. You can experience being alone with God if you want. The interior is very personal and it’s better to come and live it out.”

▼仰视教堂的主窗，upward view of the main window

▼想象着这些铃铛们随风发出叮咚的响声，imaging the bells buzzing with the wind

▼镶嵌着玻璃的教堂大门加强了室内外之间的联系，the door of the church with glass window creating a close connection between indoor and outdoor space

▼门环的细节，the detail view of door ring

建筑师创造了一个带有现代装饰的诗意的极简主义室内空间。古典教堂内总是有很多视觉信息——圣经故事被描绘在绘画、雕塑和装饰中。例如巴洛克教堂的室内空间布满了叙事性的绘画，从而让目不识丁的群众得以了解基督生平的知识。而今天的信息爆炸时代使得我们更希望能够寻找一个宁静的空间，可以冥想和实现内在的自己。

祭坛以青铜饰面，呈简单的曲线形。它光洁的表面象征着上帝的触摸（灵感源自米开朗基罗作于西斯廷教堂天顶的壁画）。在创作过程中，建筑师探索了弥撒的仪式，意识到它与人类联系的相似之处。弥撒中的碰触集中于一点，如同圆的一个切点。而能量则在信众之间传递，最终建立起联系和神圣的信息。它让我想起了坚信礼的仪式，主教对领受者抚头顶祝福，并传达来自两千多年以前基督降临时带给世人的信息。

The interior is poeticaly minimalistic with modest decoration. Historical churches are full of visual information – the entire story is written in paintings, sculptures, in decorations. For example, interior in Baroque church was completely descriptive to give illiterate people an idea about Jesus’ life. Nowadays we are overwhelmed with information and we tend to search for a quiet place of meditation and realizing own inner being.

▼一个带有现代装饰的诗意的极简主义室内空间，a poeticaly minimalistic interior with modest decoration

▼木质格栅和墙面增加了温暖的氛围，the wood grilling and wall bringing a warm atmosphere

▼青铜祭坛光洁的表面象征着上帝的触摸，the bronze altar with a perfect surface, symbolizing the God’s touch

▼自然光洒向室内，在室内形成流淌的光影，the interior is bathed in sun light

▼光从切口形成的窗户进入，并从墙面温和的滑过，light pouring into the space through the windows, and gliding softly on the walls

▼透过天窗仰望无垠的天空，looking up into the sky through the skylight

▼墙面的青铜元素细节，the detail view of bronze elements on the wall

▼夜景，night view

▼地下室平面图，basement plan

▼地面层平面图，ground floor plan

▼一层平面图，first floor plan

▼二层平面图，second floor plan

▼剖面图，section