With deep respect: reviving a church built in the sixties
Cologne needs more than 40 new churches. Good news, unfortunately not for nowadays’ architects but for those who worked in the two decades after the second world war.
One of the new constructions of the “Wiederaufbau” era was the evangelic church St Epiphany by local architect Paul Opp, built in 1963-65.
Whereas a lot of modern churches have been demolished or reconverted for more profane purposes, St Epiphany in Bickendorf, a Western quarter of the city, had been designated a few years ago to live on for ecclesiastic services. LEPEL & LEPEL won the competition for refurbishment and extension in 2011.
A new building part in front of the church now serves as a foyer, expands the existing building and provides a stronger presence into the urban space. The original facade of the church remains intact and is part of the new building structure. The campanile had already been planned by Paul Opp but at that time it had not been realized because of financial reasons.
Text by Ira Scheibe | Archipedes
Photos by Jens Kirchner
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I like the minimalist concept of this church. The stain glass windows are beautiful and do add a pop of color and interest to the design, but they don’t distract from how clean this space is. Thanks for sharing.