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Rooted in the deep presence of the former 17th-century Baroque church within the urban, historical, and spiritual memory of the town, the church—tragically lost in an arson attack in 2023—is re-articulated in its historic form: as a place of contemplation, community, and future. It is conceived within its historic shell and in dialogue with the adjacent garden and cemetery.
The ruin is understood as both a material and symbolic bearer of memory, gravity, and identity. Through a few carefully considered interventions, the outstanding qualities of what has been handed down and what still remains are revealed and carried forward. In this way, the newly conceived church ensemble becomes a spatial expression of a congregation that accepts, preserves, and continues to weave its history.
The reconstruction consciously reconnects with the craftsmanship and material integrity of the historic church while developing it further. A delicate internal timber structure stabilizes the ruin, supports the new insertions independently from the historic masonry, and forms a protective “ark” that provides both the structural and symbolic framework for community, contemplation, and renewal.
The built heritage that remained after the fire—with all its irregularities, traces, and fragmented surfaces—is understood as the spatial and conceptual foundation of a new, coherent whole. These elements are bound together in the spirit of the “bond of love.” The integrity of the historic structure, as well as the memory of the Baroque town church and its lost furnishings, remains legible and is translated into a contemporary yet historically rooted form.
The design methodology follows a clear attitude oriented toward essentials and an aesthetic of appropriateness. Every intervention is minimally invasive; existing structures are read with respect and carefully complemented, guided by what is immediate, evident, and simple.
Type
Client
Consultants
Cultural
Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Großröhrsdorf - Kleinröhrsdorf
Studio Sörensen Landschaft; Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure; Peter Stanek; air-consult IBK
©Sebastian_Kahnert
©Sara Sagui
©Sara Sagui
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