The town of Assisi and its famous Basilica of San Francesco is one of many primary tourists, religious and historical destinations in Italy.  However, the existing Catholic Church in the Basilica of San Francesco site is unsafe for occupants due to the devastating earthquake in the past.  As the existing church is being restored, the objective of this project was to design a new Catholic church to hold ceremonies and services.

The design concept was inspired by the sacred and spiritual geometry of a nautilus shell.  It is composed of two layers:  the outer layer and the inner layer.  This combination creates a natural spiral and organic patterns representing the procession of growth, and to me, it is sacred.  It also symbolizes the Golden Section in Architecture to many cultures.  As a result, my design is influenced by this spiritual of enlightenment. 

In the design, the lower floors forms as a shell and gradually spirals up to the main congregation and private sanctuary on the upper floor.  This experience of procession is intended to lift the spirit of the church to a higher realm.