WINNER OF THE GERMAN ARCHITECTURE PRIZE 2015
Modern sacred building
Church and congregation centre in one
Whether it be Gothic cathedral or contemporary sacred building – there are unusual churches which have a special, very particular character of their own. They are buildings created for people and their gatherings: like the Immanuel Church in Cologne.
A new centre for a new congregation
In 2004, the Lutheran Brückenschlag congregation in Cologne faced a large challenge: As a result of the fusion between the parishes of Cologne-Fittard and Cologne-Stammheim, the still fairly recently established congregation faced the problem that none of the existing churches was able to handle the future requirements of a larger and more modern congregation. The idea of the Immanuel Church was born. The Sauerbruch Hutton architecture firm based in Berlin won the architectural competition. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place in 2012 and the project was completed in 2013.
Design requirement meets technical solution
The church is composed of a rectangular main nave and two side aisles. Recalling the classic basilica, the side aisles contain the sacristy, the congregation rooms, a music room and a kitchen. The room for religious services in the nave presents an inviting atmosphere with a clear structure through the use of white lasered Finnish pine and a refined lighting arrangement. Approximately 4000 vertical coloured wooden slats are fitted at ceiling height behind the altar which, supported by the modest play of light, allow just an indistinct glimpse of the organ behind them. The exterior façade in larch has a unique aesthetic of its own, which is also consistently extended in the design of the bell towers. The asymmetrical tower stands on its own as a campanile belfry on the church grounds.
The GUTMANN LARA GF 80 (roof) and LARA GF 60 (façade) wood-aluminium systems and the GUTMANN TWINLOC mullion-transom connector were used for the 200 m² of window and façade surfaces. Gert Voigt, Managing Director of the carpentry shop of the same name, explains the advantages of the systems used: "As the window fabricators for the 'Immanuel Church' building project, it was important for us to use a practical façade system that had also been tested in accordance with present-day requirements. The LARA and TWINLOC designs have met these requirements." Mr Voigt mentions as a challenge the enormous size of the panes (up to 2900 mm x 5650 mm), in addition to their weight of up to around 1 metric ton, which requires a solid and well-thought-out design. The panes and retaining structure are in compliance with the TRAV requirements. The glass supports were additionally reinforced with a special construction made of steel. A double vent entrance door opening outwards in the entrance area was clamped in the LARA GF mullion and transom system. An overhanging canopy hovering at a 90-degree angle out of the façade was placed above the entry door on the PR façade. The double vent entrance door is constructed completely of wood. "Consultation, support and a fair price – these factors make GUTMANN an attractive system provider. The collaboration is on a partnership basis and very satisfactory", declares Voigt.
The Voigt carpentry shop, located in Königswartha in Saxony, can look back on numerous products in window and furniture manufacture in its nearly 70-year corporate history. The company has ten employees and can look back on numerous prestigious projects, such as "Haus König" in Bad-Saarow, the "Alt-Strahlau School" and the residential and commercial building at "Lehrter Straße 57" in Berlin.
Outstanding Architecture
The Immanuel Church was awarded the "Cologne Architectural Prize" in 2014 and the "North Rhine-Westphalia Wood Construction Prize" in 2013. The Sauerbruch Hutton architecture firm is headed by the two founding partners Matthias Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton, in addition to Juan Lucas Young. With a team of 75 employees from across the entire world, Sauerbruch Hutton is involved in all facets of architectural practice. In addition to the Immanuel Church, Sauberbruch Hutton has also implemented numerous prize-winning projects for private and public building owners throughout Europe. In all of their projects, Sauerbruch Hutton work with selected specialist planners from the very beginning.