Our Lady of Victoria Monastery was originally established in Kenya in 1952. It hosts a community of monks from the Cistercian Trappist order who moved to Uganda in 2008 following post-election unrest in Kenya. Localworks’ architectural proposal followed a requirement to double the existing monastery in size and accommodate a growing community of monks. The design includes a total of four new buildings – Church, Noviciate, Guesthouse and Gatehouse. All buildings are intricately detailed in clay brick and arranged around three courtyards.

▼项目概览，overall of the project ©Will Boase Photography

Design considerations are closely aligned with Cistercian building traditions of creating pure spaces without distractions from a life of prayer and religious devotion. The church is a long, narrow and tall barrel vaulted volume; it is a direct reference to the architecture of monastic churches. As traditional as the space is, its structure has been subtly inverted; instead of solid masonry columns with windows in-between, ‘columns of light’ seem to carry this church, connected by arches made of strips of brickwork interspersed with glass bottles.

▼由周边环境远观修道院，viewing the monastery at distance ©Will Boase Photography

▼由见习处庭院看教堂，viewing the church from the courtyard of the noviciate ©Will Boase Photography