Church at Jyllinge

On Denmark’s main island Sjælland, the Holy Cross Church rises up like a gigantic sculpture. From a distance, its surface appears to be of concrete, and upon approaching it, of greenish, glossy marble. Not until one stands directly in front of the building does it become apparent that the skin is of abutted panels of fibre-reinforced plastic. The church has two parts: an introverted, two-storey, volume accommodating the vestry and baptistery; and a tapered worship space. While for the most part the worship space’s ceiling is translucent and other-worldly, on the narrow end, toward the altar, the walls and ceiling are largely opaque. Narrow apertures frame views of the surrounding landscape and the sky.