At the church in the Sao Paolo Parish Complex, parishioners gather under an imposing concrete box that’s almost as big as the church itself.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

The church at the Sao Paolo Parish Complex, designed by Italians Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas for the Umbrian town of Foligno, was completed in 2009.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

"The congregation feels closer to otherworldly powers," said Massimiliano, about the design of the church at the Sao Paolo Parish Complex.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

Parishioners congregate under this imposing hollow structure, without a single column in sight.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

From a distance, the church at the Sao Paolo Parish Complex appears majestic and slightly intimidating.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

Parishioners gather under a hollow structure that hovers disconcertingly over the floor.

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno

"I tried to give a spiritual sense of life inside the building," said Massimiliano, who co-designed the church at the Sao Paolo Parish Complex."

Photo: Cheiesa Di Foligno