Freediving Church

Project idea

A project exploring the concept of a freediving church, combining sacred architectural typology with freediving elements.

Project description

In architecture, sacral spaces are primarily those connected with religion, memory, and the feeling of transcendence: churches, cemeteries, memorials. However, sacredness can be found in other architectural typologies, detached from religious themes. The deepwater swimming pool, for instance, can be interpreted as a sacred space since, according to free divers, the process of deep diving is connected to a feeling of transcendence and resembles meditation, helping to calm the mind and body. The aesthetics and typology of the swimming pool usually do not have much in common with sacral architecture, so this project presents an attempt to merge two architectural typologies and adjust the temple typology to the function of a swimming pool. The presented conceptual project elaborates on how both temples and swimming pools can be viewed and designed in the contemporary architectural world, characterized by a strive towards multifunctionality, tensions between secularity and sacrality, and a constant search for original ideas. Although the church is presumed to be newly built, the project also gives an insight into how old churches and temples can be reused and equipped with new functions.

Technical information

The church constructions are mostly made of concrete and wood, but overall there is no technical specification, since the project is conceptual.

Documentation

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