Picture a building so raw and honest that it looks like it grew straight from the ground. That’s exactly what Fernando Menis pulled off with the Holy Redeemer Church and Community Centre of Las Chumberas in Tenerife, and the architecture world just named it the 2025 World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival.

Located on the outskirts of La Laguna, Spain, this isn’t your typical church. The project sits in a neighborhood that had been pretty much forgotten by urban development, and Menis saw an opportunity to create something meaningful for the community. This is architecture with a purpose beyond looking good in magazines. It’s about giving people a place to gather, connect, and feel like they belong somewhere.

Designer: Fernando Menis

What makes this project so special is the story behind its construction. The entire building was funded through small donations from local parishioners. Think about that for a second. No giant corporate sponsor, no massive government grant. Just regular people contributing what they could, when they could. That stop and start flow of money directly shaped how the building came to life, creating an irregular development timeline that actually influenced the final design.

The result? Four independent volumes built in phases, each standing as its own sculptural element while working together as a cohesive whole. The church itself is joined by a community center and a public square, creating this multi functional space that serves the neighborhood in different ways throughout the day and week.

Let’s talk about the aesthetics because they’re striking. Menis went full minimalist with exposed concrete that feels almost primal. The texture is rugged and unpolished, which gives it this organic quality that you don’t often see in contemporary religious architecture. There’s no fancy facade trying to impress you. Instead, the material itself becomes the statement. The concrete isn’t just slapped on either. Look closely and you’ll notice how light plays across those surfaces throughout the day, creating constantly shifting shadows and highlights. It’s architecture that changes with time, never looking exactly the same twice. That kind of intentional simplicity takes serious skill to execute well.

Inside, the space maintains that same honest approach. Natural light filters through carefully placed openings, creating moments of quiet contemplation without getting too theatrical about it. The interiors feel grounded and peaceful, exactly what you’d want from a spiritual space while still feeling contemporary and accessible. Fernando Menis clearly understands that great architecture isn’t about showing off technical prowess or following trends. It’s about responding to real needs with thoughtful solutions. This project could have been generic, but instead it became something that speaks to its specific place and community.

The judges at the World Architecture Festival recognized all of this, which is why it beat out hundreds of other projects from around the globe. Winning this award puts the Holy Redeemer Church in the same league as previous winners that have redefined what modern architecture can be. What’s refreshing about this project is how it challenges our assumptions about what award winning design should look like. There are no flashy curves, no high tech materials, no Instagram ready color palettes. Just concrete, light, and thoughtful spatial planning. In an era where architecture can sometimes feel like it’s trying too hard to go viral, this building succeeds by being authentic.

The community focused approach also sets an important precedent. At a time when many architectural projects serve wealthy clients or corporate interests, here’s a building that literally exists because a community pooled its resources to create something for everyone. That grassroots funding model resulted in a building that truly reflects the people it serves.

For anyone interested in how design intersects with social impact, this project offers a masterclass. It proves that constraints like limited budgets and irregular funding can actually spark more creative and meaningful solutions than unlimited resources might. The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Centre of Las Chumberas shows us that the best buildings don’t necessarily shout the loudest. Sometimes they just need to be honest about what they are and who they’re for. And sometimes, that’s more than enough to change the world.

The post Concrete Church in Spain Named World’s Best Building of 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

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