{"id":767,"date":"2025-06-12T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/?p=767"},"modified":"2025-06-13T10:16:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T10:16:46","slug":"henning-larsen-builds-brick-clad-church-in-denmark-as-open-pavilion-for-gathering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/12\/henning-larsen-builds-brick-clad-church-in-denmark-as-open-pavilion-for-gathering\/","title":{"rendered":"henning larsen builds brick-clad church in denmark as open pavilion for gathering"},"content":{"rendered":"

henning larsen opens first church in skanderborg in 500 years<\/h2>\n

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At a time when more churches<\/strong><\/a> in Denmark<\/strong><\/a> are closing their doors than opening them, Henning Larsen\u2019s H\u00f8jvangen Church, set on the edge of Skanderborg, is the first to rise in the parish in over 500 years. The 1,500-square-meter structure sidesteps the conventional idea of a church as a singular, front-facing monument, unfolding like an open-ended, approachable pavilion in the landscape. Developed in collaboration with architect Espen Surnevik<\/strong><\/a> and landscape studio Schul Landskab & Planl\u00e6gning, the project rethinks this site for worship as a place for gathering, pause, and shared experience.<\/p>\n

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The brick<\/strong><\/a>-clad church is built into a gentle slope, with a low profile and a shifting facade that helps it blend into the landscape. A partially sunken corridor connects it to the existing parish center, reinforcing this quiet presence. Inside, the space avoids the traditional church layout, with no central aisle or fixed orientation. Instead, the baptismal font is placed at the center of the building and serves as its anchor point. From here, views extend out in multiple directions, toward the forest, the cemetery, and the old church tower. This setup reflects the idea of the church as a shared, inclusive space, intentionally flexible, that allows the interior to adapt to different uses such as concerts, services, farewells, and community events.<\/p>\n

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all images by Rasmus Hjortsh\u00f8j<\/a><\/p>\n

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light sets the atmosphere inside H\u00f8jvangen Church in sweden<\/h2>\n

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Light plays an essential role in the design of H\u00f8jvangen Church, shaping both the atmosphere and the overall experience of the space. ‘Light was a central design driver,’<\/em> says Eva Ravnborg, director at Henning Larsen.<\/strong> ‘It\u2019s more than a physical element – it brings a calm, almost spiritual quality to the space, lifting the experience of the church room beyond the everyday.’<\/em> The architects’ team<\/strong><\/a> supports this idea through the use of perforated brick walls and brass details, which allow natural light to filter in gently. The subtle curves of the facade help modulate the light further, while the colonnaded rear includes small niches that offer spots for reflection or informal conversation.<\/p>\n

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Henning Larsen\u2019s H\u00f8jvangen Church in Skanderborg is the first to rise in the parish in over 500 years<\/p>\n

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stackable Ekko chair marks its debut in this project<\/h2>\n

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Furniture also plays an intentional role in the project. With the introduction of the Ekko chair, designed in collaboration with Danish furniture maker Brdr. Kr\u00fcger, Henning Larsen returns to furniture design for the first time in 60 years. The chair is stackable, durable, and sleek, made to meet the standards of public use while harmonizing the calm atmosphere of the space.<\/p>\n

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For Henning Larsen’s global design director Greta Tiedje, the church reflects a shift in how society relates to sacred space. ‘A place of worship is a civic anchor,’<\/em> she says.<\/strong> ‘We designed it to be part of the everyday, a space where people can gather across generations and beliefs and find meaning through shared experience. That\u2019s where real life happens.’<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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the 1,500-square-meter structure sidesteps the conventional idea of a church<\/p>\n

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unfolding like an open-ended, approachable pavilion in the landscape<\/p>\n

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the brick-clad church is built into a gentle slope<\/p>\n

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a low profile and a shifting facade helps the building blend into the landscape<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"henning-larsen-brick-church-denmark-open-pavilion-gathering-skanderborg-espen-surnevik-designboom-large02\"<\/p>\n

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a partially sunken corridor connects it to the existing parish center<\/p>\n

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the space avoids the traditional church layout<\/p>\n

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there’s no central aisle or fixed orientation<\/p>\n

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this setup reflects the idea of the church as a shared, inclusive space<\/p>\n

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the interior can adapt to different uses<\/p>\n

\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"henning-larsen-brick-church-denmark-open-pavilion-gathering-skanderborg-espen-surnevik-designboom-large01\"<\/p>\n

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the baptismal font is placed at the center of the building<\/p>\n

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project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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name:<\/strong> H\u00f8jvangen Church<\/p>\n

architect:<\/strong> Henning Larsen<\/a> | @henninglarsenarchitects<\/a>, Espen Surnevik<\/a> | @espen.surnevik<\/a><\/p>\n

location:<\/strong> Skanderborg, Denmark<\/p>\n

area:<\/strong> 1,500 square meters (16,146 square feet)<\/p>\n

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landscape architecture:<\/strong> Schul Landskab & Planl\u00e6gning<\/p>\n

engineering:<\/strong> Ramboll<\/p>\n

furniture design:<\/strong> Brdr. Kr\u00fcger + Henning Larsen<\/p>\n

photographer:<\/strong> Rasmus Hjortsh\u00f8j<\/a> | @rasmus_hjortshoj<\/a><\/p>\n

The post henning larsen builds brick-clad church in denmark as open pavilion for gathering<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

henning larsen opens first church in skanderborg in 500 years   At a time when more churches in Denmark are closing their doors than opening them, Henning Larsen\u2019s H\u00f8jvangen Church, set on the edge of Skanderborg, is the first to rise in the parish in over 500 years. The 1,500-square-meter structure sidesteps the conventional idea…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":831,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767\/revisions\/831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drlelandwhitson.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}