This is a repost from PushPullBar1

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/utzon/bagsvaerd/1.Standing-tall.jpghttp://www.arcspace.com/architects/utzon/bagsvaerd/4.Church-Room.jpg
http://www.arcspace.com/architects/utzon/bagsvaerd/5.View-of-Gallery.jpghttp://www.arcspace.com/architects/utzon/bagsvaerd/6.Balcony.jpg
http://www.arcspace.com/books/utzon/Photo-3.jpg

Bagsværd is a provincial town north of Copenhagen that used to have its own church dating from the Middle Ages, which was demolished at the time of the Reformation. After the world-famous Danish Architect Jørn Utzon had finished the Sydney Opera House in the 1960s, he was asked to design a church for Bagsværd. He accepted the offer, and the church was finished in 1976.

This could be called the most successful piece of modern church architecture in Denmark. From the outside, Bagsværd Kirke (also nick named "Chicken Shed") looks minimalist, modern and almost uninteresting. But having experienced the extraordinary ceremony room, you will never forget it. Inspired by drifting clouds, Utzon has created another masterpiece in the interior of this church. The atmosphere is cool and concentrates on religion. If you have the courage to leave Copenhagen to go north, you shouldn't miss this very special piece of architecture.

Location: Taxvej 16, 2880 Bagsværd
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 9am - 4pm, Sun 12pm - 4pm
Nearest Train: Bagsværd Station (see attached map)

Catch the train to Bagsvaerd Station.
At Bagsvaerd Station, turn right and walk along Bagsvaerd Hovedgade for approx. 500m, then turn left into Taxvej. Travel along Taxvej then turn right again and follow Taxvej at the first available right turn.

ok, here are the exterior shots as promised.

i have to say, i always thought this was kind of nestled in the middle of suburban houses, i didn't know it was actually quite exposed and open to a main road!

walking towards it (from the carpark)

the 'chicken shed' appearance

another view...
you can see the underside of the curving ceiling/roof structure coming through (off form concrete)

finding the entrance (when there are no large congregations) to get in (which is on the side), giving you a sense of scale to those panels

Mikael found the entrance

the scheme is basically some very well day-lit corridors surrounding the bit with the curved ceiling... here the corridors

and the way into the main part of the church

the view as you enter that door (thanks Mikael for posing) ;)

and if you turn to the right, you see this...

and this

(gee, why are all my photos all tilted?!... must be that 17 hour ferry ride from Finland to Sweden still)

anyway, here is that 'sketch' in real

another (note the guy playing the organ)

seated

here is upstairs at the choir stand

the difference between the corridor spaces and the main space, as seen from upstairs

the alter's detail

*i am not sure this is the original alter design as all published plans seems to have a different layout*

elevation of the screen behind the alter + pulpit

sacristy behind the main alter+screen

other spaces linking to other rooms in the corridors

in a true Utzon fashion, the door frames are outside of the structure/opening

ok, to be honest, i was actually a bit disappointed with this project, especially after all these years praising it wanting to see this in real life!

i find the different aspects/concepts of this church seem to clash a bit in terms of aesthetic/language, although each part of the scheme (especially the main space) seem to be quite powerful on their own. it lacked a sense of cohearance in this project.

i guess that's Utzon, being such an eclectic architect who is very hard to pin-point with any stylistic form-making between different projects (although there are similarities in terms of material choices and motifs). but i thought that was also the downfall of this church, too many ideas all thrown together.

that's my 2 cents anyway.

thanks

after modeling the church, i have found that the direction of the curved ceiling changes for the 2 rooms to the east of the compound (with Mikael's investigative help), which is rather disappointing.

but then again, we didn't even notice that when we were there, so the question is... does that matter?

Nice pics, Kevin!
Indeed, the details are heteroclit and the're some which don't fit with the extravaganzish gesture of the curved ceiling (the orthogonal structure part, just next to the curved 'clouds' are a bit weird in juxtaposition)... :wondering
But I like the strong contrast between the somewhat 'boring' exterior and the expressionist inner gesture! :eek:
Can you tell more about that 'utzon-fashion' doors? :wondering

And... where's the model? :D

Here is the kmz ... of course! Thanks Kevin for this insight, I always had mixed feelings about this chirch.

This would be the view..

This would be the view..
'boring' exterior: that's it!!! :D

The change in direction is evident from the air, jeje, where is the model??? :wondering

As Ryo point, very strange mix of concepts, really don´t like
And the scale of the builing is to small, or seems to small, the entraces, the corridors, don´t look as building to receiv public...

just my 2cents

ok, to be honest, i was actually a bit disappointed with this project, especially after all these years praising it wanting to see this in real life!

i find the different aspects/concepts of this church seem to clash a bit in terms of aesthetic/language, although each part of the scheme (especially the main space) seem to be quite powerful on their own. it lacked a sense of cohearance in this project.

i guess that's Utzon, being such an eclectic architect who is very hard to pin-point with any stylistic form-making between different projects (although there are similarities in terms of material choices and motifs). but i thought that was also the downfall of this church, too many ideas all thrown together.

that's my 2 cents anyway.

thanks

I glad that you added this comment. As I was slowly scrolling through the photographs I couldn't help but think how "unresolved" this whole composition was compared to John Pawson's recently completed Cisterian monastery. Utzon's church seems like a piecemeal assemblage of ideas that lack formal coherence (or rigour). Less is more.

I know a monastery & a church have different requirements, but they both can be subject to the same disciplined approach when it comes to their design.

1976- probably a lot of cannabis and LSD.... :D :D

Well, not everything is bad. The way he illuminates the interior with daylight seems to be very well achieved. But I have to agree the building is not very good anyways.
Kevin, you posted more pictures this time right? There weren't any Michels in the original thread. And who's the nice looking girl in post 9?

And who's the nice looking girl in post 9?
Oh BEHAAVVVE...

Kevin, you posted more pictures this time right? There weren't any Michels in the original thread.

they were the same as the original thread (thanks to google cache), and it's MIKAEL not MICHEL.

look, don't get me wrong, i still think it's a marvelous church, the architecture and the experience is superb, it's probably just that i have built it up too much for myself prior to seeing this. the beauty of the curved concrete ceiling/beam hovering above you acting as the spatial device and structural device really is something special. if one didn't know about the inside of the church, the transition between the exterior and the interior would be amazing

the model is still not complete, will post it when it's done

And who's the nice looking girl in post 9?

eeh...that happens to be my wife....

eeh...that happens to be my wife....
Kevin, don't forget to model her too in your skp :D

Kevin, don't forget to model her too in your skp :D

i think mikael's already got that modelled as a component, i just have to ask him

i think mikael's already got that modelled as a component, i just have to ask him
LOL

Well...going totally off topic now but i have to tell you this for a laugh...we once modelled a landscape project in a game engine for a client. The game had monsters in it that would run around trying to kill you in as many ways as they could. However, we managed to change the models and properties of these monsters into human-looking figures. In this way people walked around adding life to the scene. We also needed to make textures for these models so my girlfriend of the time (now wife) volunteered to be one of the characters that would walk around in the model. We managed to reduce some of the monsters killing capacity so they would not chase you. However, while in first person shooter mode, if you accidentally bumped in to one of the monsters (ehh...for example my girlfriend...) they would hunt you down. My girlfriend was (for some reason) one of the most ferocious monsters and she would kill you on the spot with blood going everywhere if you bumped into her. We were quite nervous showing the model in front of the client and a large audience the first time, but managed to stay away from her digital self during the whole showing...Luckily, she is much more pleasant in real life.

To try to bring the topic back to where it belongs I have to say that this is a very powerful building. I have followed Kevin’s modelling of it and I think the basic idea of the building is very strong. The rows of columns surrounds the narrow walkways of the structure and those flowing ceilings runs down the middle in a very dramatic and expressive way, creating the actual spaces. There are however a number of contradictions in the building which makes it hard to understand. Perhaps it is not refined enough, but we all know that before we know it, the building starts to live its own life and things happen... What is also rather confusing is that it is very hard to read from the outside, but one could also argue that it makes it interesting, it is not giving anything away until you actually enter it. Kind of like something by Loos.

well this building is interesting, but if you didn't know about it's inside i think you would merely walk past it saying, "anything can get through council planning nowadays." from the outside it is beyond dull it is unresolved and the details look shocking, needs more poetic minimalism to work better, or just to be resolved. it looks ugly. the inside i'm actually surprised is so rough and for sweden even more surprsisng.

it reminds me of corbusiers' work in chandigrah and the buildings i see everyday in bangkok... very basic construction skill...

by the same token i like the interior.. i also think the idea of deception, surprise and juxtoposiung the shapes works well, we can learn from this, his detailing on the outside possibly not..

as an english essay is never 100% perfect architecture never really is and things could have always been done a lil better. it is for that reason we search for new ways to resolve things and take what works well to our next projects...

ouesty

I visited this church today, but only had a few minutes before they closed (16:00) :bang head.

I didn't expect the harshness, or better resistant appearance of the street elevation, although I had seen pictures. It has a very industrial look and it has to be pointed out that it is a church, for you not to pass by. Once going around to the other long side, the façade 'dilutes' and it breaks down to a more human scale as it has most of the entries to offices and other facilities. The architecture of the entries is so simple, yet beautiful in the way daylight is used, the selection of colours and materials. I entered from behind the actual church space through the same door Kevin and Mikael used, which I think changes much of your perception of the church. It's a pity you can't enter the way the congregation does during the week. I believe that it makes all the difference in perceiving the light and the flow of the roof from the other side for the first time. The hallway (#8 (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums//showpost.php?p=26157&postcount=8)) between the church and the offices is great due to its height and the light gently falling in (it was overcast just like in Kevins pics, I will post mine later). The way Utzon works with light, differing heights and a simple palette of colours and materials is an experience. In contrast to its outer appearance the inside of the church seems very small but has a natural serenity.

I wish I had had more time to just sit and enjoy.

I have an 85% built model (needs some doors and furniture still). Maybe you could help with some extra modelling and you probably have a better memory of the place than me.

I studied this building just the other week and was really impressed. I love the corridors - fantastic that they are celebrated rather that being considered a waste of space as is so often the mantra these days - though perhaps that is part of the church's processional brief :wondering
I'd love to see more pictures, and that model, even half finished (SU5 too please)
:cheers:

It would be great to see some construction photos!, that curved ceiling is beautiful. You have to love the formwork imprint of the timber on the concrete.

Here goes for some additional images.
Approaching from the road.

Away from the road. Entrances to the offices.

Patios

Entrance to office

Coming closer

Detail of material/colour composition.

Looking into the church from behind. (by the way it is prohibited to take pictures inside ;))

Church entrance from outside

Closer

One last of the façade along the road.