Santa Maria de la Vid Church

The church is the central focus of the 75 acre Priory property. The influence of desert Southwestern and Native American architectural is evident by the building massing and stucco colors. To establish a recognizable separation between public and private zones, a broad circular wall embraces the church and extends to enclose the cloister space and buildings. Entrance to the church is under overhead trellised grape vines, referencing the church patroness, Our Lady of the Vine. The worship space is built as a church within a church with wooden arches that emerge from the brick floor, reach towards heaven and return to the earth again. The altar is placed central to the worship space with seating surrounding the altar, ambo and processional cross.

Location: Albuquerque, NM