“An aeroplane hangar?” some wondered during its construction. Today we stand before the St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Church. It is a testament to architectural vision and a departure from traditional church designs.
In 1948, the Catholic Archbishop tasked Anthony C. Lewis with designing a church for Maraval. Lewis aimed for something groundbreaking. He wanted to avoid the cruciform plan common in Europe and America. These designs were not ideal for the West Indian climate.
Lewis was granted complete control. This was a rare privilege. He refused compromises. He felt free to create like never before. The land was bordered by trees. A pink poui tree stood out. This inspired Lewis. He incorporated ideas from Mies Van de Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright.
He chose natural pink, blue and yellow sandstone from Trinidadian quarries. These colors reflected the Poui. Lewis designed with natural materials. He used indigenous limestone and greenheart timber. Natural lighting was key. The St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Church broke from cruciform designs.
During construction, Father Connolly faced criticism. People thought the design looked more like an aeroplane hangar than a church. But the resulting church is a prime example of modern architecture in Trinidad.
Oscar Niemeyer, the famous Brazilian architect, even visited. The revolutionary design brought him to tears. The St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Church is vital to Trinidad and Tobago’s architectural heritage.
Lewis noticed the pink poui tree on the land. This influenced his design. He used pink, blue and yellow sandstone to match the tree’s colors. The design uses natural materials like limestone and greenheart timber.
Lewis aimed to improve ventilation. Traditional designs with naves and side aisles interrupted airflow. The St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Church has angled piers. These protect from sun and rain. They also allow cross ventilation. This creates a cool atmosphere. The hot air rises and exits through high vents. This draws fresh air in.
The windows were made by Critall. The glass used to be pink. Fluorescent lighting has replaced the original suspended lights. Cove lighting once created the illusion of a lifted roof.
Lewis also designed the furniture and pews. The black trusses in the ceiling look like steel. But they are treated wood. The wood was soaked in creosote to resist termites. The original six pillars at the front were Guyana greenheart wood. They gave the building a dignified grand scale.
Lewis also helped design the marble altar. As a teen, he worked in his father’s office. He created the drawings for the altar. Marble from a local company was used.
Anthony C Lewis worked for free. He only asked that the original design be kept intact. At the golden jubilee in 2002, Lewis received a papal blessing from Pope John Paul II. This recognized his work on the St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Church. The church commemorates the 1950 dogma of the Assumption of Mary.