Hønefoss Church Proposal
The Hønefoss County wished to build a new church on the same plot as the old one, after the original burnt down. The
plot is located along the axis of the town square, lying by itself surrounded by the cemetery. The narrowness of the plot resulting from the graves makes a small plot for the required area.
Our competition entry “Beyond the gate” intends to make a new church for Hønefoss that is inclusive and inviting, creating a feeling of ownership among all inhabitants.
The church will both be a functional church for the congregation and a worthy frame for all life stages and
festivities – a church for community and collection, activity and silence.
The first floor cantilevers above the church ground, over the gate and over the entrance area from the road. The concept
takes the church’s ambition to be present in people’s lives seriously, being a church “near the city“, where religious education and diaconal work has an important role.
The outreaching arm is a signal that the church has a role outside the church’s established criteria – beyond the gate; it engages into people’s lives and invites the town in.
The wandering through transitions at the entrance and exit is a recognizable element linking the new church to the
site, with reference to the old church and rooted in tradition. The entrance has a defined direction: from the square, down
Church Street towards the cemetery, through the gate, up the church ground, through the entrance and along the aisle
of the nave to the altar.
The church also has a direction the opposite way: from the nave, which is the building’s heart, through the church square, chapel and Sunday school, education and youth club, it reaches back towards the city.
The entry connects the site ‘s peculiarities - its limited size and worthy location in the cemetery, with the church’s program needs, and utilize the site’ s potential by stretching the building to the perimeter of the plot in the west.
