Ålgård Church
An Iconic building in Ålgård Centre.
Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2017.
Ålgård, just outside Stavanger, is a very vibrant congregation with many activities. One of the aims of the new church was to bring together as many functions as possible under one roof. A challenge with the project was therefore to create suitable rooms for a classroom, an office, a café, without affecting the actual Church space. By lowering the ground floor partially into the terrain, suitable space to accommodate the range of functions room was generated, leaving the sacral space undisturbed on the upper floor. – A logical and functional solution that makes the sanctuary a natural and prominent center.
Another requirement from the congregation was that the church should have an iconic character and a clear christian style. This request was solved by the buildings dynamic sculptural form, giving the appearance of single expression evolving out of the landscape, extending towards the sky whilst mirroring the shape and slope of the surrounding terrain.
The building's shape defines the roof structure as a modern interpretation of a traditional church vault. The main structure consists of Glulam beams in a network of triangles, as exposed in the Church room. Every other triangle is tilted upwards and reflects the light into the church. The result is an optical refraction is seen in traditional dome vaults. The closed triangles on the other hand, are designed with built-in LED lights. Additional daylight is in the church room is enhanced via the northern façade, where the corner point is lifted slightly upwards in order to allow the light to fall along the floor in the back part of the room. Simple glass columns provides additional daylight on either side of the building's high altarpiece in the glass.
The landscape design merges the church into the surrounding countryside. A park separates the cemetery form the church. The area can be equipped with an anfiteater a stage suitable for concerts, sports and other activities.
The Church is designed in accordance with the requirements for universal design.
