Local church’s architecture continues to impress

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/09/2012 (5059 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you have ever driven over the Nairn Bridge and looked north, you have probably seen it: a remarkable piece of architecture in Elmwood. Standing tall and proud is Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, constructed in 1957.

Located at 580 Talbot Ave., the building is one of many buildings across the world dedicated to Saint Sava, the founding member of the Serbian Orthodox church. Many of its members hail from North Kildonan.

The Cathedral of Saint Sava in Vracar, Belgrade, is the original building dedicated to the saint and is one of the 10 largest church buildings in the world, situated where it is believed the remains of the saint were burned. Although scaled down in size compared to the cathedral, Winnipeg’s Saint Sava employs several carefully thought out principles of architectural design.

The spaces in the building are divided into two parts, each with separate entrances and exits.

According to Rev. Malisa Milovanovic, “the lower floor is for the body” and consists of a central area with space for entertainment, kitchen and classrooms. The upper floor is “for the soul” and is dedicated to worship and prayer.

The interior of Saint Sava is column free and the walls are adorned with beautiful religions paintings. A view of the interior is worth the visit, alone!

The front approach off Talbot Avenue leads directly to the entrance of the building along a straight, axial path. The worshipper must climb stairs to enter the building, expressing both a change in level and marking the passage of one place to another.

Another architectural principle used to venerate sacred buildings is an elevated base plane.

Saint Sava’s elevated base plane not only structurally and visually supports the form and mass of the building, but also places importance both on religion and on the building’s role in the community. The elevated base plane deliberately raises the building above the surrounding context, enhancing its image in the landscape.

Like the original cathedral, Winnipeg’s Saint Sava has a floor plan in the shape of a cross, with the largest dome located over the centre. The cross is one of the most ancient human symbols, and is recognized by many religions as a symbol of divinity.

Saint Sava is regular and symmetrical, a balanced arrangement of forms. The building has a central organization. The central dominant space is the worship space, with a number of secondary spaces such as the bell towers grouped around it.

In this architectural composition, differences exist between the building forms. These differences reflect the degree of importance of these forms, as well as the symbolic roles they play in the organization. For a form to be articulated as being significant or important to an organization, it must be made uniquely visible. With Saint Sava, the visually dominant element is the central worship space in plan, and, in elevation, the three domes on top of the rectangular base. The largest and tallest of the domes, located over the worship space is strategically placed to call attention to itself as the most important element

Circular forms are used carefully in architectural design. They are viewed as the perfect form, typically used only for symbolically significant spaces, as they are expensive to build.

The roughly 150 Serbian families that regularly attend Saint Sava are very involved in the Elmwood neighborhood. The church has received two community service awards for regularly hosting Folklorama’s Serbian pavilion. The church also runs, Circle Sisters, a charity event for community members.

If you are interested in a tour, helping the church with its community service efforts or learning more about Winnipeg’s Serbian community, please contact Saint Sava at 204-663-7235.

Charlene Kroll is a community correspondent for North Kildonan. She can be contacted at krollcharlene@gmail.com.