Church Architecture Since Vatican II

Conventional wisdom holds that before Vatican II, all churches were built in traditional styles and materials, while after Vatican II, churches were required to be theater-like with abstract iconography and a separate chapel for the tabernacle. However, a closer look at the Conciliar documents and the broader architectural movements of the early and mid-twentieth-century suggests that the conventional narrative does not give an accurate account of the shift from traditional to modernist sacred architecture. In this article the author discusses some of the other contributing influences, such as the rise in popularity of the “theater church” among Protestants in the late 1800s, the rejection of tradition by architects in post-war Germany and America, and the push from the Liturgical Movement to return focus to the liturgy by eliminating other distractions (including architecture and art). He also discusses some of the trends in sacred architecture today. Finally, he discusses how understanding a church as more than merely a functional building for the liturgy can give a better understanding of elements of church design.