Innovations in sacral architecture: The resettlement churches of Emil Belluš

Abstract The 20th century saw a great breakthrough in architectural innovation; however, this was less evident in sacred buildings. The Evangelical Church of A. C. was inherently innovative, which was also reflected in the architecture of its churches. The innovativeness of the evangelical denomination can be seen in completely new spatial concepts, morphology, the use of new constructions, materials and building technologies, including modern technical equipment of sacral spaces. This article focuses on two buildings by one architect—Emil Belluš (1899-1979), a doyen of Slovak architecture, whose work significantly influenced the field of sacral architecture of the Evangelical Church of A. C. Innovative contributions can first be seen in the design and later in the construction of two evangelical churches in Nesvady and Senec, in Slovakia, built in the 1950s. The churches were part of a project originally intending to build ten new churches for people who had been resettled as part of the government's post-war migration policy. For several decades, these two churches have remained the last addition to sacral buildings constructed in Slovakia. The article deals with the reasons for the creation of church plans, the socio-political situation of that time, circumstances of their construction, and spiritual ideas and creative contribution of the architect Emil Belluš. The research is based on a detailed study of these temples, their layout, and the use of new technologies, construction principles, morphological elements, and other architectural means in which we seek and define an innovative approach to creation.