St. Vitalis Parish Centre

Pfarrkirche Salzburg-St. Vitalis

Architect: Holzbauer und Partner | Wilhelm Holzbauer

Address: Kendlerstraße 148, Maglan, Salzburg, Austria

Web:www.stvitalis.at

Investor:Salcburská arcidiecéze

Project:1968

Completion:1973

school and education

sacral

libraries, mediatheques

The Roman Catholic parish church in the Salzburg district of Maglan was designed by Salzburg native Wilhelm Holzbauer at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. The church is dedicated to the Irish saint Vitalis, who lived in the 8th century and became the second bishop of Salzburg. In addition to the main sacred space with a chapel, it was necessary to incorporate a number of other functions into the complex: a kindergarten, a library, a café, a kitchen with a dining room, and a community hall. After the completion of the church, the operational requirements continued to change, and Professor Holzbauer always actively participated in their incorporation, so that the building would best reflect current events and become a dignified place for fostering mutual dialogue.

The typology of the building respects the rural atmosphere of the periphery of Salzburg. The various sections of the parish center – the church, the parish house, the rooms for youth groups and a kindergarten are accommodated within a long, rectangular floor plan. Function and significance of these areas are reflected in the height and shape of the roofs. Light is made to fall over the centrally placed altar by means of a glass roof directly above, and a belfry in the shape of an open cube rises from the center of the skylight area. The choice of building materials corresponds to the simplicity of the basic concept; load-bearing walls, glass and wood defining the visual impression of the building.