Theology and Architecture Jacob Star Handledare/ Ander Wilhelmson, Tor Lindstrand Supervisor Examinator/ Examiner Per Franson Examensarbete inom arkitektur, avancerad nivå 30 hp Degree Project in Architecture, Second Level 30 credits 8 juni 2017
Theology and Architecture Jacob Star Studio 2+11 Supervisors: Tor Lindstrand & Anders Wilhelmsson 2017-05-17
Intro What impact can architecture have on the theology of and worship in church architecture? What is their relationship? How could I combine my lifelong Christian faith and my soon to be profession, so that I might use it to worship and honor God with my architecture? Also, what places might religion have in our society, now that we are becoming more multicultural and perhaps more religious as well. These were questions I wanted to study this semester, and a conversation with my friend gave me a real life example to base my work on, namely to design a church building for his growing church Husbykyrkan. During this semester, I have studied various churches around Stockholm, and reading up on the theory, to complement my own experience of church life and how architecture can influence it. This, together with what I learned about the specific congregation, has resulted in the following proposal of an addition to Husbykyrkan. Diagonal of chapel to show pillars in elevation Churches Visited Gottsunda Kyrka, Uppsala 180 Västerortskyrkan Stockholm 156 St Tomas Kyrka, Stockholm 160 Näsbyparks Kyrka, Täby 180 Sta Birgitta Kyrka, Stockholm 162 Årsta Kyrka, Stockholm 2011 Tibble Kyrka, Täby 178 - Carl Nyrén - Cark Nyrén & Bertil Engstrand - Peter Celsing - Rolf Bergh - Rolf Bergh - Johan Celsing - Göran Kjessler Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption, San Francisco, USA 171 - Pietro Belluschi Bibliography Heathcote, Edwin & Moffatt, Laura Contemporary church architecture (2007) Chichester; Wiley Bieler, Ander Architecture in Worship (165) Edinburgh; Oliver & Boyd Nyrén, Carl som krokigt skall bli (10) Solna; Svensk Byggtjänst Rappe, Axel Domus ecclesiae: studier i nutida kyrkoarkitektur (162) Stockholm; Diakoni styrelsen Andersson, H. O. Rum för samling: om Rolf Berghs Arkitektur (182) Stockholm: Arkitekturmuseet
HUSBYKYRKAN TODAY Husbykyrkan is a charismatic Baptist congregation, some 40 years old. Their vision is to be a house of prayer for all nations, and to together grow in life, by becoming more like Christ Jesus, to grow in unity through fellowship in Christ, and to grow in number by more people accepting Christ. There is in other words a movement towards God, made known in Christ, a circular movement towards deeper relationship with each other, and an outward movement towards their surroundings and the world as a whole. The building Husbykyrkan is in now was built in 175 by the congregation themselves, which then consisted of around 30 people, all ethnically Swedish. Over the past decades, the congregation has grown to almost ten times its size, nearly 300 members. The church has also become more international, with large groups from Iran, Eritrea, and Afghanistan. You can also see the international vision in the many bible verses in various languages, painted on the walls on the lower floor. During a typical Sunday Service these days, 100 to 120 people cram into the main chapel, and every semester new people are being baptized and join the congregation. The service has a pretty free structure, with some mixture of hymns, a sermon and joined prayer where anyone can add prayer topics, all translated into Farsi those who need it. After about half the Service the kids run off to Sunday school. After the Service, the congregation gathers into the even more cramped fellowship hall, for kyrkfika. Aside from this main gathering, various smaller groups do things throughout the week, for example the youth group on Fridays, and a smaller service for the Eritrean group. They also occasionally rent out the fascilities for local parties or music cafés. The church is thriving, and has a close history with its building, but they are outgrowing it. Aside from the small fellowship hall and chapel, the people I spoke to mentioned that they need more space for Sunday school and youth activities, as well as more storage space. The church needs a bigger building, but does not have the economy for it today. HUSBYKYRKAN TODAY - A REGULAR WEEK MONDAY (# of people) Evening service, Iranian group (70) TUESDAY Evening service, Afghanistan group (25) WEDNESDAY Retired group (daglediga) meetup (20) Evening service, Eritrean group (?) Choir practice, (25) THURSDAY Board meeting (or other group) (8) FRIDAY Youth group (20) SATURDAY Worship Service, Eritrean group (25) SUNDAY Bible Study (25) Main worship Service (115) Sunday School (3 groups) (20 kids) Fika afterwards
Circumstantes - Paralell gaze towards the front, the spectacle - Individualistic - Raised and seperated Eucharist table creates a sense of distance between the holy and the profane, turns it into a pagan altar Holy Profane The vision of the Husbykyrkan They want to be a house of prayer for all nations, and to grow grow grow. Grow in life, by becoming more like Jesus Christ Grow in numbers, by new people accepting Jesus Christ - Congregation equidistant from Eucharist table and Pulpit - Centered focus, congregation looking eachother in the eye - Low Eucharist table, close to the congregation Grow in Unity, by fellowship in Jesus Christ
Photos Existing Church
Photos Existing Church
Photos Existing Church
Drawings of Existing Church Architect: Karl-Erik Hjalmarsson Site Plan 1:200 Floor 0 1:100
Step 1: Distinguish two main parts Chapel: time devoted to material, patial qualities, nice wood work. The rest: governed by utility, redone multiple times. Step 2: Keep chapel, raze utilitarian part Keeping it all and adding more is difficult in regards to the existing organization. Tearing down the chapel seems uncalled for, since the congregation built it and the chapel had many good qualities in the materials, known form etc. Step 3: Add my addition toward the east Attaching the addition in this way works well with the existing openings in the chapel, and allows the open space in north of the building to be used in a better way. This also gives a lot of space for a new chapel, while allowing for an entrance towards the subway and walkway. Site Plan 1:1000 The current Church building is located in central Husby, a housing area built in the 170s. Advantages of Site: Close to public Transportation (marked in blue) Next to main walkway through area Close to main road Next to a park, not cramped between buildings Park good for outside activities Site Plan 1:1000 Site Map, Stockholm Site Map, Husby 1:50 000
Existing Program 136 sqm 86 sqm 16 sqm 20 sqm 11 sqm 12 sqm sqm 10 sqm 7 sqm 23 sqm 8 sqm Top floor (330 sqm): Main Chapel (seats 120) Fellowship Hall (seats 0) Office Kitchen Office/Storage Coat room (8m of hangers) Restrooms (2) Windbreak Storage (2) Hall Stairs Proposed Program 22 sqm 175 sqm 21 sqm 31 sqm 26 sqm 5 sqm 4 sqm 43 sqm 5 sqm 3 sqm sqm 15 sqm Top floor (575 sqm): Main Chapel (seats 220) Fellowship Halls (seats 160) Office Kitchen Coat room (18m of hangers) Restrooms (1) Windbreak Hall Interpretation booth Elevator Stairs Alcoves 2 sqm 7 sqm 6 sqm 56 sqm 6 sqm 15 sqm 33 sqm 8 sqm 5 sqm Bottom floor (208 sqm): Smaller group rooms (3) Coatroom Garbage Storage (6) Restrooms (2) Installations (2) Hall Stairs Pentry 86 sqm 106 sqm 1 sqm 12 sqm 135 sqm 21 sqm 15 sqm 81 sqm 4 sqm sqm 15 sqm Bottom floor (535 sqm): Larger activity room (2) Larger group rooms Small Chapel Coat room (13m) (12) Storage (7) Restrooms (2) Installations Hall Elevator Stairs Pentry
B 3 4 8 A 6 15 1 2 1. Main Chapel 2. Fellowship Hall 3. Coat Room 4. Office 5. Kitchen 6. Translator booth 7. Childrens corner 8. Restroom. Storage 10. Small Chapel 11. Group Room 12. Pantry 13. Installations 14. Broom Cupboard 15. Baptismal font A 5 2 7 B Floor 1 1:200
The Plan I planned to design for a Sunday Service with roughly twice the number of people, but organized the addition in a similar way to the existing building. Downstairs are larger rooms for Sunday school and other more physical activities, a small chapel for devotions, as well as a small pantry and storage space. The space created between the new and old chapel naturally became the central hub, with the main entrance and coat room, the office and the vertical communication. Although the old chapel would not be used as such anymore, it was an excellent candidate for the new fellowship hall, giving the vital act of kyrkfika more dignity, and with the small addition of a new door, could easily be connected to the outside during the summer months. The new chapel was naturally placed in the eastern corner. It needed to be bigger but, assuming they continue in a similar manner to today, larger and smaller groups of people will use the chapel. For more flexibility, I created a sort of subdivision in the chapel, with a main part, and an annex, similar to how Nockebykyrkan has organized its chapel. Also, rather than using a via sacra or basilica form, I opted for a more circular principle, I had read being called circumstantes, to enhance the communal sense already present in the Service today. Alcoves were also places to allow for a children s corner, a translator booth, and a place for intercessory prayer. When designing the main chapel I wanted to connect it to this congregation, and one might see the three movements I mentioned earlier. The pyramid ceiling, with the cross shaped window and the pillars give a movement upwards, heavenwards, with the wood panels enhancing this direction. The circumstantes organization and arrangement of the floor tiles enhances the circular movement. They do not come to stare in parallel, but to grow together in their Christian journey. Finally, the large window gives a connection to the outside world, an outward direction. Alt 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Main Chapel Fellowship Hall Coat Room Office Kitchen Translator booth Childrens corner Restroom Storage Small Chapel Group Room Pantry Installations Broom Cupboard 3 8 10 8 8 8 8 14 13 11 Alt 2 3 8 8 11 12 11 Alt 3 Floor 0 1:200 Floor 0 1:50
Section B-B 1:100
Roof Int. Cladding Horizontal Lath Vertical Lath Stiff Insulation Vapour Barrier Air gap Steel Plate 22mm 22mm 22mm 300mm 44mm Wall Int. Cladding Solid Wood Stiff Insulation Vapour Barrier Air gap Steel Plate 22mm 5mm 50mm 22mm Foundation Cladding Concrete Stiff Insullation 50mm 350mm 250mm Section A-A 1:100
The exterior The basic shape of the addition is thought to be influenced by the old building, but reinterpreting the old saddle roof into a the pyramid shape, which also enhances the interior of the new chapel. The roofs next to the pyramid slant up towards it, to show the focus, and the choice to use the same material as facade and roof gives the addition a holistic feel while creating a clear distinction between old and new. The smaller windows along the southeast facade have the same proportions as the large one, and hopefully create a sense of movement towards the staircase to the north. On the northeastern facade, the cross shaped opening is aimed to be seen during the day as dark against light, and at night during evening services as a light against the then dark roof. Facades 1:200
Exterior view
Model 1:500 Model 1:50
References Process Models