New Church

The catalogue was published on the occasion of the opening of the New Church of the Evangelical Brethren in Litomyšl on 4 December 2010. It documents the origins of the church based on the design by the architect Zdeněk Fránek. It is interesting to note that he was simultaneously working on yet another prayer house for the Evangelical Brethren, specifically in Černošice, near Prague. He expressed his feelings about the New Church in Litomyšl, saying it was a joyful and independent work.   The architect attempted to create a building that would be eternal, whose form would withstand the ravages of time. The impressive horizontal façade became the key architectural element, primarily the slightly sloped angled roof, which is visible particularly when viewed from the upper part of the meadow.  It looks as if it is leading you along the path to higher cognition at three different levels. Over the course of 2010, two Czech artists of international renown – Karel Malich and Václav Cigler – created exceptional artworks to decorate the interior and exterior in a style corresponding with the modest design concept for the church. Václav Cigler is responsible for the glass cross mounted on the cantilever on the roof above the entrance, which transforms the sun's rays into an optimistic blaze of rainbow colours.  Karel Malich took on the task of creating the altar stone, the pulpit, and the altar sculpture installed on the main wall of the prayer hall. The sculpture comprises two connected circles: one is white, the other black, with the former on the top, thus symbolising the victory of light over darkness. The decoration of the church was initiated by the gallerist and patron Zdeněk Sklenář.