MATERIALS- BAGSVÆRD CHURCH Bagsværd

The materiality of Jorn Utzøn’s Bagsværd church, not only started a conversation about the spaces

in which religion and spirituality can inhabit but pushed the boundaries of religious architecture as a

whole. Using mainly white concrete and embellishments of birch wood Utzøn perfects the feeling of

divinity, whilst maintaining Bagsværd’s cultural identity. Stemming from a core design agenda of

brutalism, the exterior of the church manifests into an internal modernist masterpiece. Although the

material palette is incredibly limited and in comparison to most post-modern buildings of the era,

minuscule; the design and form carry the materials into a new almost etherial realm.

The exterior of the building, whilst similar in tone and materiality to the interior they are polar

opposites in form. This alone highlights the dexterity and complexity of Utzøn’s material palette and

how tactfully he disregarded the calls of post

modernism. The precise and considerate use of

material allow the building to have an incredibly

dynamic and distinct threshold between the interior and

exterior spaces. Matte and glossy surfaces are the

main driver in this instance with the glossy tiles on the

outside and matte concrete beams on the inside Figure 1. Brick screen
creating an intense depth. Ethereal light bounces off of

the apposing surfaces from surrounding trees creating an incredibly transient and light texture.

Although the eye is immediately drawn up towards the “billowing concrete vaults” that make up the

iconic ceiling. The attention to detail through out the building is immaculate. The project saw

Utzøn’s son design the joinery and his daughter create the “Vestments, altar cloth and other

fabrics” (Weston and Utzon, 2008). Therefore an infinite surveillance of the material direction was

achieved. The reredos, designed with thin “flensborg bricks”(Weston and Utzon, 2008), painted

white, were quickly translated into a representation of the holy trinity by the congregation. Although,

the true influences have most likely originated from Islamic cultures upon observation of the Arabic

script seen within the ceiling design. Moreover a wide range of islamic architecture uses marble as

a core palette feature; a much closer material to concrete as apposed to stone. Nevertheless, true

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to its critical regionalist style the screen’s materials amongst the other details never evoke any

particular cultural associations.

The site is adorned with large birch trees that translate into the interior of the building through

Utzøn’s material choice. Vertical white-stained Swedish pine beams defuse the light onto the

matching pews elevating the celestial qualities of the interior space. Wood has always been a

material clearly present throughout most religious scripture. In the bible wood is used to build the

ark which is used to save mankind and all of the species of the earth. In addition, Jesus Christ is

the son of god who is crucified on a wooden cross to relive humans from their sins. Nevertheless

the physical elements of the wood create a very intimate

experience when entering the nave. Utzøn’s choice of light

coloured wood works as a vehicle to change the texture of the

palette while allowing it to remain exclusive from the cliches of

post modern architecture which was highly predominant of the

time.
Figure 2. In situ concrete casting

Concrete is used as a vehicle throughout the project to reflect Bagsværd as a community, the

buildings agricultural palette reminds its visitors of a grain store. Nevertheless this was not to

represent the humble “Arcadian" history of Bagsværd but to reflect on contemporary realities of

suburban life; addressing capitalistic autonomy. Using non-anachronistic and industrial materials to

look towards a modern world in terms of and religion and architecture. Furthermore the concrete

used is mixed with crushed white marble, giving the surfaces a calculated luminosity. Although

minimal, the materials within the design have been

thoroughly explored and refined. Most of the external

concrete was pre-fabricated off site and brought in as

planks. The nave, the buildings tour-de-force, was

created using in-situ casting. Subtle imperfections left by

the woods grain add a dynamic quality to the undulations,

Figure 3: Detail of the undulating in- referencing Utzøn’s original inspiration, clouds. The
situ cast roof
reinforced concrete ceiling, only 12cm thick, rests on

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flanges supported by double columns which support the structure in a similar way to flying

buttresses, a feature of classical church design adapted to cater to the modern material choices.

Externally the building has an almost sterile property, its very minimal range of materials creates a

silhouette of where a building should be. The concrete’s whiteness allows the building to sit within

the silver birch trees: airy, like fog, anchored yet emancipating from its surroundings. The buildings

real dimension comes in the change from concrete to white glass tile on the north and south

facades. The very subtle textural differences mirror the curves of he interior of the church. the

Concrete undulations almost bursting out from interior

to exterior space; simply hinting at the vastly different

space at the heart of the structure. This

dematerialisation of the facade almost strips back the

need for beauty within religious architecture and lays

bare the faith and purity behind the origins of

Christianity.
Figure 4: a small classroom with
wooden cladding on the curved ceiling.

Critical regionalism as a movement and moreover a

small revolution, in the age of postmodernism, became a huge influence on the materials that were

chosen for the building. The aluminium roof being a large part of the buildings industrial aesthetic

almost blends in due to its tonal similarities with the rest of the building. Nevertheless the closer

you get to the building the more the subject understands the vulnerability and increased anonymity

of the movement as a whole. The floor is made up of white concrete beams much like the walls.

This universal materiality on a surface as fundamental as the floor highlights Utzøns strive for

identity within the building. Moving on from the disappointing end of the Sydney Opera House’s

construction this building was a way for Utzøn to represent not only his architectural style and

expertise but also to represent his home country in a beautiful and culturally appropriate way.

Nevertheless at the forefront of the design aesthetic is the communities industrial identity, very thin

metal bars are used in the skylights to create a very minimalist barn or shed like ambience. The

corrugated aluminium roof is seemingly everyday and functional. never the less it is secular in its

materiality but elevated into an almost spiritual choice; that you can only truly appreciate once

you've left the interior space.

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Branching out from the main enclave of the church there are many pockets of beautifully crafted

spaces. The hallways have beautiful pre cast concrete slabs that line the ceiling adjacent to the

floor. Contrastingly from the rest of the surrounding areas this

concrete is not painted and is left raw. This divergence from the

scheme creates a very dynamic and intricate experience, with

pockets of light feeding the spaces in between the concrete creating

almost freeze frames of light and dark. Dispersing off of these

hallway spaces are an ensemble of teaching and practice rooms

they are equally as organic and free flowing as the nave in the main

building. Although their roofs are clad in the same white stained

Figure 5 : Concrete beams Swedish Pine. This technique makes the rooms feel much more

intimate and the materiality reflects the size of the room.

Although the material palette of Bagsværd church may be incredibly minimal and change few times

in texture and even fewer in tone; the church is incredibly multi faceted. The matte and glossy

surfaces create an incredible depth without introducing any form of tonal change. The joinery

details throughout the whole project created by Utzøn’s son are intricate and greatly detailed;

taking references from islamic design. Nevertheless the material palette evokes no true cultural

association. The landscaping of the site is reflected through the interiors material scheme; the

white stained Swedish pine beams evoke a sense of purity and cleanliness. The majority of the

build was completed with concrete, the material reflects the cultural aspects of Bagsværd’s

community but choses to reflect on contemporary realities of suburban life; addressing capitalistic

autonomy rather than addressing the rural and agricultural past of the community. Externally the

building is almost sterile but Utzøn responded to this with slight textural change to the facades.

Critical regionalism was the main incubus which dictated not only the architectural decisions but

also the materials that were used to convey the design agenda.

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Richard Weston, 2002. Utzon: Inspiration, Vision, Architecture. Edition. Edition Blondal.

Asgaard Andersen, M. (n.d.). Revisiting Utzon’s Bagsværd Church. Nordisk Arkitekturforskning, 2,

pp.95-102.

ArchDaily. (2017). AD Classics: AD Classics: Bagsværd Church / Jørn Utzon. [online] Available at:
http://www.archdaily.com/160390/ad-classics-bagsvaerd-church-jorn-utzon [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Utzonphotos.com. (2017). Church of Bagsværd » Utzonphotos.com. [online] Available at: http://

www.utzonphotos.com/guide-to-utzon/projects/church-bagsvaerd/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Bagsværd Church. (2017). Bagsværd Church. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/

maps/place/Bagsværd+Church/@55.761681,12.4426383,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!
1s0x46524fd039fcd4e9:0x172b02ab21c49fa6!8m2!3d55.761681!4d12.444827 [Accessed 7 Apr.
2017].

Frampton, K. (n.d.). Towards a critical regionalism: six points for an architecture of resistance. 1st
ed.

FIGURE BIBLIOGRAPHY



Figure 1 :Diez, M. (2017). Happy Birthday Jørn Utzon!. [online] LA76 Design & Travel Blog.
Available at: http://blog.la76.com/2014/04/happy-birthday-jorn-utzon/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Figure 2: Richard Weston, 2002. Utzon: Inspiration, Vision, Architecture. Edition. Edition Blondal.

Figure 3: 4.bp.blogspot.com. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://
4.bp.blogspot.com/-qfC3OWfIgEk/TrvPDojB3uI/AAAAAAAAADc/MycQbEov-Qc/s1600/
DSC07147.JPG [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Figure 4: Utzonphotos.com. (2017). Church of Bagsværd » Utzonphotos.com. [online] Available at:

http://www.utzonphotos.com/guide-to-utzon/projects/church-bagsvaerd/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Figure 5: Arcspace.com. (2017). Bagsværd Community Church - Utzon Architects. [online]

Available at: http://www.arcspace.com/features/utzon-architects/bagsvaerd-community-church/
[Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].





Erno goldfinger

Baldwin tower

Trellick tower- brutalist towers

Nigel warburton- life of an architect

Willow road Hampstead

Albermale street London 1955

Alexander Fleming house London

Sensation of space, pictorial plastic spatial

Chair design

Spiral staircase.

POST MODERNISM

Complexity and contradiction in architecture-in architecture

CRISIS-loss of faith in the modern project-decline of meta narriatives

Emphasis on individual over social - ambiguous identity

Blurring distinctions between

-cultures

-art and pop culture

-style over substance

-media saturation

Fragmentation

-pastiche,collage,irony

VENTURI

and-and

Different categories of contradictions symmetric asymmetric

Small and monumental

Double function element

Contradictions between the use of materials in a building and the structure

Conventional elements

Banal

Anonymous and commercial elements

VISUAL CULTURE-POP ART

USA POP ART

jasper johns

rauschenberg

Olderburg

Wesselmann

ANDY WORHOL

Lichtenstein

UK POP ART

paolozzi

Hamilton

Caulfield

Phillips

Escobar

Bossier

Allen jones

Hockney

INDEPENDENT GROUP

Met at the ICA London 1952

-painters

-sculptors

-architects

-writers

CHALLENGE PREVAILING MODERNIST CULTURES

-Stirling

-paolozzi

-smith sons

-Hamilton

House of the future

AMERICAN CONSUMERISM

archigram

Peter cook

Ron Herron

BRUTALISM

1950-70s

Banham- "the new brutalism"

Aguilar geometries

In situ casting

Rough/blocky

CRITICAL REGIONALISM

KENNETH FRAMPTON

GENERIC/vs/regionalism

The anti aesthetic

Asplund

Lewerentz

Alvaro alto

Minnette de silva

Le corbusier

TECHNOLOGY AND FORM FINDING -MIES, THE BAUHAUS, REICH

studies in tech tonic culture frampton

Mies in Berlin/America

Weimar Germany:thedialectic of the modern

Riehl house

Beurs building

OTTO DIX ART WORK

Walter gropeus

LILLY REICH VELVET AND SILK CAFE