Sydhavn Church

The Sydhavn Church is both a place of worship and a gathering space welcome to all. Inclusive in nature, it strikes a balance between the spiritual and communal needs of the city.

Designed as a gathering point for both the congregation and for the city, it features an upward-moving spiral walkway that invites people from street level to high above the skyline.

As the first new church built in Copenhagen since 1989, it will function as a church, culture house, and recreational gathering space for the residents of the newly developed area of Sydhavn, as well as the surrounding city.

Program: Church, culture house
Size: +2500 m2
Location: Sydhavn, Copenhagen
Client: Sydhavn Sogn
Year: 2016 -
Type: Open competition, 1. place
Collaborators: Søren Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniører
Role: Main architectural and landscape advisor
Status: Ongoing
Team JAJA: Jan Tanaka, Jakob Christensen, Kathrin Gimmel, Sam De Boever, Jonathan Hansen, Ananda Ehret, Toni Antonov, Monica Safta, Robert Schrammen, Stephen Dietz-Hodgson, Claudia Caporale, Eivor Vik

THE CHURCH FOR THE PEOPLE

From the surface of the water to the steeple, the roof promenade becomes the communal public space. It is a place for everybody. The upward-moving spiral walkway and the harbor promenade merge together with the roof, extending the surrounding urban space and inviting people up to experience the heights.

THE CHURCH FOR THE PEOPLE

From the surface of the water to the steeple, the roof promenade becomes the communal public space. It is a place for everybody. The upward-moving spiral walkway and the harbor promenade merge together with the roof, extending the surrounding urban space and inviting people up to experience the heights.

THE CHURCH AND THE WATER

Located on the harborfront, water is a ubiquitous element in the Sydhavn Church, both architecturally and spiritually. A spring from the steeple flows down along the roof promenade and into a series of basins and water gardens. On a sunny day, the water trickles down creating a subtle sensory experience. On a day with heavy rainfall, the basins overflow creating a cascading waterfall along the promenade. The architecture mediates the relationship between visitor and nature, offering new ways of experiencing the constant change of the surrounding environment.

THE CHURCH AND THE WATER

Located on the harborfront, water is a ubiquitous element in the Sydhavn Church, both architecturally and spiritually. A spring from the steeple flows down along the roof promenade and into a series of basins and water gardens. On a sunny day, the water trickles down creating a subtle sensory experience. On a day with heavy rainfall, the basins overflow creating a cascading waterfall along the promenade. The architecture mediates the relationship between visitor and nature, offering new ways of experiencing the constant change of the surrounding environment.

THE NAVE

The Sydhavn Church accommodates a wide range of activities. The sacred nave is raised above the more public spaces, creating a distinct separation that allows lively cultural activities and calm spiritual ceremonies to occur simultaneously.

THE NAVE

The Sydhavn Church accommodates a wide range of activities. The sacred nave is raised above the more public spaces, creating a distinct separation that allows lively cultural activities and calm spiritual ceremonies to occur simultaneously.

THE STRUCTURE AND TACTILE SURFACE

The material palette of the church consists of a warm wooden interior and a cooler concrete and tile exterior. The combination of the concrete colonnade and tile façade create a rich aesthetic experience when viewed from a distance and up close. From a distance, the shadows from the colonnade give the building depth. As the church is approached, this textural experience is enriched by the tile pattern on the façade.

THE STRUCTURE AND TACTILE SURFACE

The material palette of the church consists of a warm wooden interior and a cooler concrete and tile exterior. The combination of the concrete colonnade and tile façade create a rich aesthetic experience when viewed from a distance and up close. From a distance, the shadows from the colonnade give the building depth. As the church is approached, this textural experience is enriched by the tile pattern on the façade.

Program: Church, culture house
Size: +2500 m2
Location: Sydhavn, Copenhagen
Client: Sydhavn Sogn
Year: 2016 -
Type: Open competition, 1. place
Collaborators: Søren Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniører
Role: Main architectural and landscape advisor
Status: Ongoing
Team JAJA: Jan Tanaka, Jakob Christensen, Kathrin Gimmel, Sam De Boever, Jonathan Hansen, Ananda Ehret, Toni Antonov, Monica Safta, Robert Schrammen, Stephen Dietz-Hodgson, Claudia Caporale, Eivor Vik