Every sacred building begins with a single quiet idea. That…
Every sacred building begins with a single quiet idea.
That spark—the one that asks what could be—is what we as architects are called to listen to, interpret, and shape.
Recently, I had the honor of working on a conceptual design for the Holy Archangel Michael & All Angels Skete, a monastery that tragically lost most of its buildings to fire. But from the ashes came not despair, but vision. Father Alexii—deeply rooted and profoundly forward-looking—set his heart on building something greater: a church more beautiful, more enduring, more attuned to its sacred ground.
The sketches you see here are my first response.
Rooted in the Byzantine tradition of Orthodox church design, the five-domed structure reflects the enduring influence of Constantinople on the Serbian Orthodox Church. The central dome, in traditional monastic black, anchors the main sanctuary. Flanking it: smaller domes over the northern and southern chapels. Balanced bell towers rise in symmetry, topped with patinated copper domes that speak of age and grace.
The tripartite altar layout unfolds into three apses. Covered arcades—gulybishche—embrace the sides. A choir loft floats above the narthex, and the slope of the land allowed us to integrate a subtle southern exit from the basement level.
But there’s more. Standing beside the temporary open-air chapel on site, I couldn’t help but imagine: What if nature wasn’t outside the church—but gently invited in?
Within the framework of canonical design, I’m exploring the idea of discreet panoramic windows—openings that would not break tradition, but breathe alongside it. Not exposure, but quiet openness. A sense of liturgical space in communion with creation.
It’s early. But these moments—when sacred architecture meets imagination and memory—are where lasting things begin.
#orthodoxchurchdesign #sacredarchitecture #traditionalchurcharchitecture #customchurchdesign #churcharchitecture #molodin #aleksandrmolodin #molodinarchitect #ecclesiasticalarchitecture #byzantinearchitecture #professionalchurcharchitect #architecturalservices #timelessdesign
