For eight years the Olive Leaf Centre Trust has tried to gain resource consent for the design but to no avail, says Trust chairman Colin Bellett.

The plan to build the Centre next to the church has therefore been abandoned.

He says the Trust has also ruled out making a revised consent application after considering legal advice.

The Trust had come to the conclusion that virtually "nothing at all" could be built on the site, regardless of whether the design was contemporary or traditional Bellet says.

While Bellet and those supporting the olive leaf design are disappointed at having to abandon what they saw as a good idea, those opposing the plan are pleased.

NoLeaf is an incorporated society which was formed to oppose the project. Its chairwoman Susan Rowley says NoLeaf supporters felt "deep relief" the matter was not going to the High Court.

In the beginning

Eight years ago, an Olive Leaf design was selected for a multipurpose parish and community centre on land beside St Patrick's Catholic Church.

Locals were immediately at loggerheads as to what they thought. There were arguments, eight years of them. Legal stoushes. Many people were concerned about the town's heritage value being compromised with a modern design incorporated into it.

Supporters lodged an Environment Court appeal. A High Court Appeal was a possibility.

Arrowtown was a town divided.

Residents made 362 submissions to the Queenstown Lakes District Council: 214 were in support of the design, one indicated qualified support and 147 were opposed.

Those against the idea were determined the olive leaf design would not go ahead.

The NoLeaf society received support from community organisations such as the Arrowtown Village Association, the Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association, the Queenstown Historical Society and Lakes District Museum.

After a Planning Commissioner turned down resource consent for the building in 2020, the Trust turned to the Environment Court for the matter to be reconsidered.

The end of the road

Last month, the Environment Court upheld the Planning Commissioner's ruling and denied resource consent for the proposal.

The Trust was given 15 days to appeal the Court's decision. It chose not to do this.

The parish now has an opportunity for a "genuine consultative process" about how to redevelop the existing building beside the church, Rowley says.

Source

• ODT
• ODT
• Facebook

In a written message, he says: "The space, light, acoustics, colours, images, symbols (and) liturgical furnishings constitute fundamental elements of that reality, that event, human and divine at the same time, which is precisely the liturgy".

The message was addressed to Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the Dicastery for Culture and Education prefect. The Cardinal is also president of the coordinating council of the pontifical academies St John Paul II instituted.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin read the message about liturgical elements at an awards ceremony the Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuosi organised.

The awards this year were dedicated to sacred architecture.

"We know well how important the celebratory setting is in fostering prayer and a sense of communion," the Pope wrote.

Francis explained sacred architecture and spaces "are as significant and timely as ever, since there is always a lively and sometimes even heated debate on proposals for the renewal of sacred architecture, which has the arduous task of creating ... adequate spaces in which the Christian community can celebrate the holy liturgy with dignity according to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council".

In his 2022 apostolic letter, "Desiderio Desideravi" ("I have earnestly desired"), Francis insisted Catholics need to understand better the Second Vatican Council's liturgical reform and the power and beauty of the Mass.

He highlighted the importance of not losing hope in helping people to become aware of and understand symbolic language.

"There can be no question of renouncing such language," he wrote in the encyclical.

"It is rather a question of recovering the capacity to use and understand the symbols of the liturgy."

The other essential aspect Francis noted in his message concerned the inspiration of artistic and architectural creativity.

This comes from a Christian vision flowing "from liturgical life, from the action of the Spirit and not from human subjectivity alone," he wrote.

The gold medallist for this year's pontifical academies award went to OPPS Architecture Studio in Florence.

The award was for its work renovating a chapel in Rome that belongs to the Sts Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena Foundation of Religion.

The silver medal went to architect Federica Frino for her design of the new St Thomas Church in Pontedera, Italy.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace has an internal space of 30,000 square metres, almost twice the size of St Peter's, and can hold 18,000 worshippers. Read more

By last Friday's deadline, the Queenstown Lakes District Council received 362 submissions on the resource consent application for the Olive Leaf Centre project.

Of those, 214 were in support, one indicated qualified support and 147 were opposed.

Heritage New Zealand's submission said the development would have adverse effects on the heritage values of the church and the nearby Blessed Mary McKillop Cottage.

It would also pose a risk to the "structural integrity and ongoing conservation" of both buildings and have detrimental effects on residential amenities in the township, including visual effects and increased traffic and parking.

Supporting the proposal, Arrowtown resident Ralph Hanan said buildings such as the Sydney Opera House and the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum in Paris had become "treasured" icons despite their inconsistency with the heritage form of their surrounding buildings.

A post on the Arrowtown Olive Leaf Centre Facebook page thanked all those who made submissions.

"Thanks to those who registered support and to those who harbour sincere concern. We hope to demonstrate many of your fears will be proven groundless."

The post notes that the council advised they estimate a three-day hearing will be necessary.

The Council is negotiating with commissioners.

Source

• odt.co.nz
• facebook.com
• Image: supplied

Already the project has created considerable national and international interest and offers of support.

Local parishioner and project architect Mr Fred Van Brandenburg says "Our forefathers built to the best of their ability a church that was contemporary in their time."

The inspiration for the Olive Leaf Centre came from a group of parishioners with a vision to build a place for parish gatherings and for the wider community to enjoy.

Their aim was not simply to build a "church hall" but rather to create a work of exceptional beauty, timeless elegance and functionality.

The Centre will be administered by ‘The Olive Leaf Centre Trust,' an independent charitable body.

The Trust says that work on the project to date has been totally pro bono and it gratefully acknowledges the generosity of spirit it has inspired.

The Trust is optimistic that it will be able to fund the project through grants and donations including those from patrons of the arts.

This will be in a similar vein to the enabling of the completion of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia Cathedral and raising funds for the Hundertwasser Art Centre project in Whangarei.

The Trust has reaffirmed its commitment to delay seeking funding until Resource Consent has been obtained.

The building has been designed to be a low-level structure to minimise its visual impact and to ensure that the church remains paramount on the site.

Sunk into the ground, glimpsed through trees and shrubs, the building is viewed primarily as a series of stone walls reminiscent of the stone structures built by the early settlers.

Even the roof hovering over it will be clad in stone so that the entire structure will be read as one.

This design has it all. Like a Koru revealed by a skilled carver from within the Pounamu - a Taonga of our time.

Click here to read a full explanation of the design

Source

• Supplied

It received a "four-star" award which represents "New Zealand Best Practice".

Foley Group Architecture building architect and parishioner Paul Foley said the quest for green star rating had been driven by the Catholic Diocese.

"It wants all new churches to be Green Star-rated, which is a great philosophy and one that required a steep learning curve to understand and implement the materials and procedures that would ensure the design, construction and now operation of the church is done on a more sustainable, efficient and productive way," he said.

Green Star is a tool to support those involved in the property and construction sectors to design, construct and operate projects in a more sustainable, efficient and productive way.

To rate a building or fitout's overall environmental impact, Green Star rating tools award points across nine categories: energy, water, materials, indoor environment quality (IEQ), transport, land use and ecology, management, emissions, and innovation.

The star rating ranges from zero, assessed, to six, world leader.

St Mary's has a capacity for 175 people, which can be increased to 250 by opening doors to the adjoining community centre.

Its framework is an intricate steel structure with concrete tilt panel walls and acoustically designed plywood panels.

"Throughout we have had the full support of the parishioners but, now that the church is complete, it is up to the community to respond to the challenges regarding the procedures and operation of the church to ensure they are sustainable and efficient for the good of our environment," said Foley.

"The local community has worked very hard on the rebuild of this beautiful church which will serve the community well for years to come".

Source

• star.kiwi
• nzgbc.org.nz
• Image: star.kiwi

Buyers are attracted by the big spaces and the unique architectural features of the buildings.

In many cases, the former churches are protected by their heritage status which means they cannot be demolished or significantly altered.

Here are three examples of church-to-home transformations:

A desire to escape the Auckland rat race led Nelson's Steve Galpin and Tor Muriwai to their former Methodist church.

Built in 1904, it had been converted into a café, while at the rear there was a two storey, three-bedroom home, formerly the Sunday school hall.

The pair filled the space with their treasures, but have recently moved on - it was just too big.

Jaimee and Ryan Whiston converted a huge unused church in Dunedin into a home creating a place for their young family in the city's waterfront suburb of St Clair.

They said "church conversion was never on our radar but we are both creative and really didn't want another typical renovation."

When they saw a church was for sale, they just had an overwhelming urge to go and look.

"Once we walked inside and saw the stunning windows, we were sold."

Clemency Boyce and Greg Donson converted a former Whanganui Presbyterian church hall into a family home for them and their two children.

Donson was one of the children who attended the Sunday school services back in the 80s.

He had many happy memories of the space and, when he returned to Whanganui, he happened to arrange a visit.

Coincidentally the church was planning to sell, so the pair jumped at the chance to convert it into a home to share with their daughter Tilda and son Inigo.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

The church, which is about 17-metres tall and 11-metres wide, took three months to build.

The glitzy modern sculpture, made from blue glass and steel, cost around €630,000. Have a look

It wasn't until the sermon came to be the central act of worship (thanks to the protestant revolution), that pews began to appear.

Here's a breakdown of how we came to pop a celestial squat: Read more

In the book architect John Scott's work is described as "not just the best church in New Zealand, but the best building."

Worship features photographs by acclaimed photographer Jane Ussher which are accompanied by stories on each by architectural historian Bill McKay.

Ussher captures an extraordinary array of churches while McKay explores the history of church building in New Zealand over the past 200 years.

Worship brings together early country churches, grand cathedrals and quirky modernist designs in a unique survey of some of our most compelling architectural landmarks.

The book is described as "a striking tribute to the diversity of New Zealand church architecture."

Two other John Scott churches, St Mary's Taradale and Our Lady of Lourdes Havelock North are among the 70 churches — from tiny rural buildings to towering city cathedrals, featured in the book.

Other Catholic churches include St Patrick's Napier, St Patrick's TePuke, Our Lady of Victories Sockburn, St Joseph's Grey Lynn, St Peter's Takapuna, St Michael's Remuera, St Mary's Taihape, St Mary of the Angels Wellington, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart Timaru, St Gabriel's, Pawarenga, St Patrick's Oamaru, St Patrick' Cathedral Auckland, St Patrick's Akaroa.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• ubsbooks.co.nz
• Image: wikiwand.com

Using his trademark Tree Spade, Barry Cox, who once aspired to be the Pope, was able to relocate a variety of mature trees to create a unique and structurally complex church on his 1.2 hectare property near Cambridge.

After spending several years of his youth on the back of a motorcycle, exploring Europe and America, Mr Cox developed a deep appreciation for church architecture.

Drawing on that passion, the tree specialist decided that he would try his hand at creating a structure with 'distinctly different' plants that would highlight the vast proportions of his unorthodox church, echoing a style common in masonry churches.

• More photographs
• Video

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• dailymail.co.uk
• Image: dailymail.co.uk

In a recent pastoral letter, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield emphasised that devotion to the Eucharist is central to faith.

Bishop Paprocki directed that "tabernacles that were formerly in the centre of the sanctuary, but have been moved, are to be returned as soon as possible to the centre of the sanctuary in accord with the original architectural design".

In other instances, tabernacles that are not in the centre of the sanctuary, but are in a visible, prominent and noble place, can stay where they are.

But tabernacles that are not in a "visible, prominent and noble" place have to be placed in the centre of the sanctuary, Bishop Paprocki directed.

These directions are so that people can spend more time in adoration and in the presence of the eucharistic Lord.

Bishop Paprocki wrote that proper celebration of the liturgy is "the key to fostering the active participation of the People of God in divine worship".

So he strongly encouraged serious attention to religious art and architecture, sacred music, and reverent celebration.

In 2009, Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy decreed that in churches where the tabernacle is not centrally located, a consultation should begin to determine how to do so.

He issued the norms to end controversy over the placement of tabernacles.

Bishop D'Arcy said the Eucharist should always be "a means of unity and communion and never of division".

The post-conciliar "Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharist" recommended the Blessed Sacrament be reserved in a prominent location suitable for private prayer and devotion.

It also recommended that the tabernacle be placed in a chapel distinct from the middle or central part of the church.

This is especially in those churches where marriages and funerals take place frequently and which are much visited by the public.

But the instruction left it to local bishops to decide where tabernacles should go, as long as the place is worthy and properly equipped.

Sources

• Catholic World News
• Catholic News Agency
• Catholic.com
• Fr Z's blog
• Image: Advocates of Life

He was in Christchurch last week to assist the Presbyterian Church and Union Churches with its rebuild programme.

10 out of 34 of their congregations in Canterbury have been unable to use their main halls of worship since the earthquakes.

McGowan says the trend in the United States was for sites that were not "Christian country clubs", used for a few hours on Sundays.

The goal was to throw them open to the whole community, even different faiths, as well as the secular.

The architecture should be such that "people don't need an invitation to step inside".

"Even as we build walls, how do we tear down the walls between faiths and people?"

This means facilities the community can use, such as committee rooms, meeting spaces, facilities for children and teens, community gardens and the like.

Mel McGowan is the founder of Visioneering Studios, an architectural and community development ministry which was awarded the 2008 Solomon Award for "Best Church Architect".

He has been named one of the top 25 cultural influencers by OC Metro magazine for his role as an "Architectural Evangelist".

Source

• Tony Morgan Live
• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Stuff.co.nz