This building was constructed in Viladecans thanks to the friendship between the project’s designer, the renowned Austrian architect Robert Kramreiter, and the parish priest of Sant Joan Baptista in Viladecans, Father Ramón Saborit, as well as the support provided by a property development company that donated the land, situated in a green area of the town. The new church in Viladecans is entirely a pure combination of concrete and iron. With its ramps and varying levels, it has been aptly described as the ‘beginning of a motorway leading to Heaven’. Kramreiter’s main idea in designing this church was to ensure the full participation of the faithful in the sacrifice of the Mass. Everything is subordinated to this purpose. The spacious nave is almost circular, some 40 metres in diameter, and can seat 650 worshippers. At one end of the chancel is the entrance, above which stands a gallery, with its own entrance, intended to accommodate worshippers arriving late for the service so as not to distract the others attending. It is connected to the rest of the church by a staircase. At the end opposite the main entrance stands the high altar, formed by two large marble blocks weighing 7,000 kilos. From the high altar, the celebrant faces all the congregation and everyone looks towards him. There are no columns to support a ceiling that undulates gently. On the left, lobed windows provide light to this area. The main nave is lit by rectangular windows which, almost at the ceiling, are aligned along one side of the structure.
To the left of the altar is the area reserved for children – those closest to Jesus – in accordance with his wishes. On the opposite side are the choristers. Behind the chancel, a staircase leads to a semi-concealed crypt where the Eucharist is placed on a column separate from the altar; two underground recesses in the compact concrete structure serve to accommodate the faithful who come to adore the Blessed Sacrament. The chapels of the Holy Christ and the Virgin, arranged so as not to distract the attention of the faithful attending the liturgical ceremonies held in the central nave, are reserved for the private devotions of the faithful. Next to the main door, isolated from the outside by a large 180-degree glass panel, there is an original circular baptistery, attached to the nave.
While the exterior of the new church is striking —viewed from the front, with the bell tower in the foreground, it takes on a curious trampoline-like shape, very similar to the chapel in Ivalo (Finland)— the interior is equally impressive for its simplicity and majesty, and although the overall design is far from harmonious, it is evocative, revealing influences from Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto, and even Gaudí.
