Parroquia de Santa Mónica, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Modern Catholic church in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain.
Parroquia de Santa Mónica is a modern parish church in Rivas-Vaciamadrid that brings together worship space, priest housing, and community areas under one roof. Skylights embedded in the facade channel daylight into the central nave in a carefully planned way.
Architects Ignacio Vicens and José Antonio Ramos created several design proposals before settling on a final version using weathering steel as the primary cladding material. This choice reflected both practical constraints and a willingness to try something different for a place of worship.
Inside, religious artworks including José Manuel Ciria's Creation mural and fourteen crosses by Jose Antonio Ramos for the Via Crucis catch visitors' eyes. These pieces shape how people experience prayer and reflection here.
This location sits south of Madrid and is easily reached when exploring the region. The complex welcomes visitors to view both the exterior architecture and the interior worship space.
The building uses weathering steel, a material that develops a protective rust-like coating over time instead of deteriorating completely. This particular surface quality gives the church a distinctive look that shifts subtly from year to year.
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