The project
Built on the Łagiewniki site in Kraków, the Basilica of the Divine Mercy Sanctuary welcomes several thousand pilgrims each year. Mathis designed and constructed the glue-laminated timber framework of the main nave, spanning 38 meters. The elliptical structure, of great geometric complexity, was conceived to create an open, light-filled space without any intermediate supports.
The challenge lay in controlling deformations and connections within a structure of such scale, while preserving the purity of the space and the architectural intent of the site. This achievement illustrates Mathis’s ability to make wood converse with spirituality, honoring proportion, light, and a sense of balance.
