The Rock | Kofi Essel-Appiah

THE ROCK

The ROCK seeks to redefine the architecture of the Church within the parameters of Christianity. Upon this rock I will build my Church;  the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 is the pivot around which all the functions of this scheme revolve. The emergent form is therefore a literal exploration of the hardness of the rock to make a strong aesthetic statement for the Christ Temple as a foundation and  a leader for the International Central Gospel Church and the cause of Christianity as a whole.

The program of the project is enveloped  in three main  volumes. The biggest of these structures which houses the main sanctuary and ancillary spaces, is composed of 12 geometric planes of different shapes and sizes. This polyhedron within which the disciples receive the teachings of Christ is the most prominent on the site.

In the tower, we drift away from the traditional bell tower, which mainly calls the people for worship to a habitable volume for the clergy and the entire church administration. The block leans forward at one edge as it rises, ending at its foremost point on the uppermost floor, which accommodates the leader of the Church. The volume is transparent on both northern and southern faces, framing an optimistic view of the future.

There tunnels finally bridge the complex across the adjacent stream to welcome the inhabitants of Accra and beyond to the house of God.