×

Subscribe to our newsletter

Divine Design // Constructing for Religion

Jun 20, 2012
Any designer is both thrilled as well as intimidated when assigned to create for religious spaces.For a long time the outcomes of these sort of projects have been very careful and traditional but recently a few projects has stood out. Here are a few.The Church of Seed by O Studio...
Scroll right to read more ›
Text by
Any designer is both thrilled as well as intimidated when assigned to create for religious spaces. For a long time the outcomes of these sort of projects have been very careful and traditional but recently a few projects has stood out. Here are a few. The Church of Seed by O Studio Architects is built on the side of a sacred mountain in China. Made mainly from coarse concrete the building stands out harshly and ascetic in the lush surrounding landscape.

Bøler Church near Oslo is designed by Norwegian studio Hansen/Bjørndal Architects. It has one end buried in a hillside and the other sticking in the air and is clad in weathered bricks and copper on the exterior and timber slivered surfaces contrasting the raw bricks in the interior. Somehow the materials refer the rough weather conditions of Norway and makes a divine connection with the uncontrollable nature.

Danish design company Søren Rose Studio recently revealed their pitch for the new national chair for the Church of England. The chair is a mix of traditional shaker style and strong references to danish design from the 50’s. However the design also holds a contemporary feel to it. Among other things, the bible holder has been rethought into a modern simple design feature and all decorative details have been cut away.

The church hall of the Oasis Centre of Pastorial Care by X Architekten in Linz, Austria has a very modern graphic crystallised interior when compared to other divine spaces. The experience is so overwhelming and simple that it creates an almost transcendental atmosphere for the visitors. Posted by Sofie Brünner
Back

Articles you also might like

Spazio Nobile Studiolo presents a selection of Quentin Vuong’s alchemical Mercure mirrors, in conversation with sculptural wood forms and collectible furniture by Kaspar Hamacher, as part of the Season XXXVI of Spazio Nobile Gallery. The exhibition is on view through January 18th, 2026.

Spazio Nobile presents a solo exhibition by Didi Ng Wing Yin, finalist of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2025. A collection of furniture, sculptures and vessels made in wood, Yin’s primary material, The Nature of Wood centres on the artist’s investigation of materiality and the relationships between design and art. The exhibition is on view through January 18, 2026.

From November 6, 2025 – January 17, 2025, Galerie Maria Wettegren presents Animal Vegetal, a solo exhibition of work by Estelle Yomeda. The Paris-based designer presents a series of sculptural furniture designed and handmade in collaboration with craftsmen in Togo, West Africa.