Dio Padre Misericordioso Church
Designed by the American Architect Richard Meier – winner of the international competition by invitation "50 chiese per Roma 2000 (50 churches for Rome 2000)" organised in 1995 by the Vicariate of Rome – the church Dio Padre Misericordioso is an outstanding example where the architectural contents of the great masters – Bramante, Borromini and Le Corbusier – interweave with a rigorous relationship between the light element and the formal purism of Meier's design language.
Dio Padre Misericordioso, the symbol of the Jubilee 2000, consecrated in 2003, is located in the suburban context of Tor Tre Teste in Rome, creating a strong identity where the disorientating density of residential buildings prevails beyond measure over the quality of the architecture. The essential and severe church complex which has succeeded in connecting the sacredness of its interior with the livability of its great external area, is characterised by three large white concrete sails that swell as if propelled by a wind blowing from the East.
HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Italcementi, technical partner of the project, contributed to the construction of the Church with innovative and high-tech products including the new white cement TX Active® and continuous supervision of the concrete mix during the construction phases. A structure of such architectural prestige and symbolic meaning required the use of a very special concrete, characterised not only by high mechanical performance and durability, but also by a white colour of considerable brightness, capable of maintaining the aesthetic appearance unchanged over time due to its self-cleaning property.
The white cement produced by Italcementi for Dio Padre Misericordioso is the result of extensive laboratory research aimed at optimising the aesthetic durability characteristics of high quality cement works. The photocatalytic action eliminates the various pollutants – vehicle exhaust gas, flue gas from domestic heating, industrial discharges of chemicals, pesticides – which come into contact with the concrete surface, transforming them into substances which do not harm the environment. This allows the original aesthetic appearance of the structure or of the work to be preserved over time. Thanks to its photocatalytic properties tested around the world, TX Active®, represents a practical wide-range solution. A growing number of public administration officials are choosing it to build or renovate roads and buildings.
