A Crystalline Impression: Parish Church in Poing

The new church assertively fits into its surrounding situation. On the one hand, it represents a sensitive counterpart to the existing parish hall; on the other it is a structural, urban building block with a forecourt facing the road. A white roof sculpture has been set atop the storey-high base of nagelfluh, a conglomerate rock from the Upper Bavarian gravel plain. This roof is divided into four parts and borne by a steel construction. A homogeneous raiment of around 15,000 moulded ceramic tiles gives the roof a crystalline appearance. The various surface angles of the glazed tiles were inspired by the shape of the roof and work to create diverse refractive effects as the light changes.

Inside, the division of base and roof continues: the lower wall areas and floor are clad with visible, large-format blocks of nagelfluh. Above, the abstract white roof sculpture rises like a space of light reaching for the sky. From the forecourt, visitors pass beneath the raised area to enter the church, which features sleek wooden pews arranged in blocks around the liturgical centre of the altar area. The space is characterized by large openings whose direction of light supports the liturgical functions: the light from the vertical aperture at the highest point of the church shines directly onto the altar and tabernacle, while lateral beams accentuate the spot where baptisms take place.