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Church of God the Merciful Father in Rome: commissioned by John Paul II, designed by Meier
The Church of God the Merciful Father stands in Tor Tre Teste. Commissioned by Pope John Paul II to commemorate the Jubilee of 2000, it was designed by American architect Richard Meier. Three white sails, 26 metres tall, make it recognisable from afar — and completely different from any other church in the city.
How the three sails work
The structure is self-supporting: 256 precast concrete panels — called voussoirs, each weighing 12 tonnes — are held together by a network of steel cables. The material is a special concrete, TX Millennium, which contains photocatalytic particles capable of oxidising pollutants.
Circles and squares, not by chance
The plan plays on two geometries. The curved forms — portions of a circle — represent the divine and wrap around the nave. The squared volumes, representing the human dimension, house the parish facilities. The two shapes do not merge: the circle embraces and protects the square.
The light that enters only once
The nave roof and the two façades are entirely glazed, yet direct sunlight hardly ever enters. The exception is a precise moment in the afternoon, especially in summer: light filters through a small window behind the presbytery and illuminates the seventeenth-century crucifix.
Where to find it
The church is located at Largo Terzo Millennio 8, Rome.
