Hille Melbye Arkitekter, AS

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

SPIKKESTAD CHURCH AND
CULTURAL CENTRE

Einar Dahle Arkitekter + Hille Melbye Arkitekter

ARCHITECTS
Einar Dahle Arkitekter, Hille Melbye Arkitekter

INTERIOR ARCHITECTS
Einar Dahle Arkitekter, Hille Melbye Arkitekter

CONTRACTOR
Bermingrud Entreprenør AS

ENTREPRENEUR
Bermingrud Entreprenør AS

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Aina Dahle, Kaja Melbye, Joachim Midjo Andersen, Mikkel Haavaldsen

MANUFACTURERS
Wienerberger

ENGINEERS
Dr. Tech Kristoffer Apeland AS, Sivilingeniør Finn Madsø AS, Sweco Norge

CONTRACTOR BRICK
Tveiten & Riis AS

CLIENT
Røyken Kommune, Røyken Kirkelige Fellesråd

CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE
Asplan Viak

MANUFACTURERS
Wienerberger, EGE Front, GHV, H-Glass, Henriksen Snekkeri, Knudsen Dørfabrikk, Lunex, Norgesvinduet

LEADSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Landskaperiet AS

PHOTOGRAPHS
Jiri Havran

AREA
1450.0 m2

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
Spikkestad,Norway

CATEGORY
Cultural Center

Compact, yet generous, with an ample capacity for simultaneous use. Einar Dahle Arkitekter and Hille Melbye Arkitekter received 1st prize in the 2014 design competition for a new church and cultural center in Spikkestad, Norway.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

In May 2018, “Teglen” (meaning “the brick” in Norwegian) was completed and inaugurated. The building is shared in both ownership and use by state church and municipality, and embodies a consecrated church room, a neutral ceremonial room, a café, activity-rooms, administrative offices, and municipal services.

CONCEPT

“Teglen” is conceptually perceived as a brick volume, elevated from the public town square and gently inserted into the adjacent sloping terrain.

The key act of lifting the introvert ceremonial functions up over the ground floor lets the extrovert functions such as café, activity rooms and municipal services connect to the town square. With its red brick flooring, the town square connects the building with the train platforms like a “red carpet”.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

The iconic east façade, the “wall of kings”, rises vertically up over the town square, establishing a clear orientation and a strong fond motif.

The resulting shape of the building draws resemblance and reference to both traditional church spires and the towering brick chimneys of the Spikkestad brick factory formerly situated on the neighboring property.

FLEXIBILITY AND SIMULTANEOUS USE

The plan concept for the upper level can be read as an interpretation of a traditional cruciform plan, or even a cross-in-square plan, where both main entrance and vertical communication is placed in the northern transept.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

The main body is divided into three main spaces, the consecrated church room to the east, the neutral ceremonial room to the west, and an interconnecting central space – the crossing, and separated by floor-to-ceiling oak-clad folding doors.

Along with in total eight entrances over the two levels, and a generous staircase with amphitheater connecting the levels, the organization facilitates a variety of both flexible and simultaneous uses within a compact and effective body.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

This addresses the multitude of challenges of the initial design program, while also expanding it with new layers of possibilities.

LIGHT, STRUCTURE, AND MATERIALS

The upper volume is covered in a maintenance-free brick cladding tied to a concrete core structure. The ceremonial rooms are defined by two 3,45 meters high concrete beams that run continuously through the building.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

The pillars supporting the beams form the aisles in the church room and define spaces for secondary functions.

The ground level is fitted with floor-to-ceiling glass in order to maximize contact with the town square, creating a seamless threshold between interior and exterior.

Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
© Jiri Havran

The ceremonial rooms are mainly naturally lit. Skylights bathe the brick walls of the aisles and the site-cast concrete of the altar wall in a soft light.

Generous glassed apertures cut seamlessly through the many layers of the building´s skin and interior structure, connecting the inner spaces with the outer spaces.


Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Courtesy of Einar Dahle Arkitekter + Hille Melbye Arkitekter
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Courtesy of Einar Dahle Arkitekter + Hille Melbye Arkitekter
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
West elevation
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
South elevation


Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Section
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Section
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Section
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Courtesy of Einar Dahle Arkitekter + Hille Melbye Arkitekter


Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
First floor plan
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Second floor plan


Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Diagram
Spikkestad Church And Cultural Centre
Diagram

Hille Melbye Arkitekter, AS
T +47 23 327200
Hille Melbye Arkitekter, AS
Hausmanns gate 16, 0182 Oslo, Norway