A new church in Våler
In contrast to the dig of the ruins of the church, the new church of Våler stands as a compact volume.
THE CHURCH PROJECT
When approaching the church from the cemetery, its monolithic aspect reveals a more complex nature: through the external cladding, in juxtaposed wooden slats, one can catch a glimpse the interior of the hall, and when it is darkn outside, the light of the room filters through, transforming the church into a large lantern. The use of wood, a local and traditional material, declined according to contemporary technologies, allow the creation of a complex envelope, in which the external lamellar cladding alternates fixed sectors and extendable portions.
By moving these portions and appropriately orienting the slats, it will therefore be possible to adjust the entry of light into the room and mediate the visual relationship with the outside, revealing the dense texture of the forest as well as the green expanse of the cemetery. In the center of the park, the ruins of the old church will be filled with water: the trace of the foundations will hand down a “living” memory of the building destroyed by fire, which with the passing of the seasons will transform itself from a fountain to a mirror of ice.
INFORMATIONS
Studio Benaim worked on the competition for the design of a new church in Våler. The proposed project was curated by the team: André Benaim, Fabio Azzato, and Ipostudio architetti srl, and Aei Progetti.