The Lady of the Thirty-three

The concept behind The Lady of the Thirty-three Catholic Church in Colonia comes from the history of the forefathers of the nation of Uruguay. This church is dedicated to a figure of Virgin Mary which was carved in wood by Guarani indigenous people in the Missions near Iguazu Falls and brought by boat to Colonia by missionaries through a long, tortuous, and dangerous journey through wild rivers. The concept of the church was born from the idea of that procession bringing the image of the Virgin Mary and the chapel takes the imagery of a boat reinterpreting it as a space to hold the effigy and to hold the services. The roof of the church echoes the structure of a boat hovering above the space and the clean, geometric shape gives emphasis to this. The concept allows for internal flexibility as well as external as the services can be performed outdoors as well as indoors.