St. Josef Parish Church in Holzkirchen
An extraordinary timber structure defines the atmosphere inside the new St. Josef Church in Holzkirchen. Its predecessor, built in 1962, had become structurally unsound due to serious construction defects. Because refurbishment had been shown to be uneconomic, the client issued an architectural design competition for the redesign of the whole parish centre complex and the construction of a new parish church (400 seats) with a weekday chapel (50 seats). The competition documentation expressed a wish for a timber structure. The successful architect’s design envisaged an open, inviting group of buildings that incorporated the existing church tower. Church and chapel stand opposite one another and take the form of two differently sized and inclined truncated cones with an elliptical footprint and rooflight. They are linked by a flat roofed vestibule, which is connected to the vestry and a covered path to the northern part of the parish centre complex.
