Comunidad de Religiosas de Maria Inmaculada
Jesus María, Lima (2019-2022)

During the Spanish colony, convents were considered a sign of the city's opulence and proof of the quality of its neighbors. Lima housed up to thirteen cloistered convents and monasteries occupying about a fifth of its surface. The convents were cities within cities that allowed the nuns to live a mixed life between contemplation and active apostolate (charity and teaching). They contained some chapel, refectories, dining rooms, a chapter house, cells, isolated outdoor spaces, as well as kitchens, storage and orchards.
Although there are fewer than a dozen convents in contemporary Lima and the population of nuns has dwindled considerably, they are still active in a contemplative and apostolic role. The Congregation of Religiosas de María Inmaculada -founded in Madrid by St. Vicenta María López Vicuña in 1876- entrusted us with the design of its new premises. In addition to being a residence for the religious community, it must also serve for its intense work, welcoming and training young girls in vulnerable situation as well as its neighboring community.
Given the contemporary condition of reduced land, the new convent rises vertically: a two-level public basement that contains the chapel, the training workshops and the auditorium. A private intermediate level with refectories and meeting rooms. Three levels with residences for young women and nuns. A roof terrace with laundry rooms, an orchard and recreational areas.