Wonder how a church can also be apartments and a daycare. That’s the Erlöserkirche Vingst for you. It is a unique building in Cologne. The Erlöserkirche Vingst addresses a pressing question. Can architecture revitalize religion? The Protestant Church in Germany has pondered this for years. The Erlöserkirche Vingst answers with an innovative design.
In 2014 two congregations united. They came from Mauenheim and Weidenpesch. They wanted a new church complex. Weidenpesch was chosen for its accessibility. An architectural competition was launched. The old parish buildings were to be demolished. The Weidenpesch church built in 1951 from wartime rubble was beyond repair. The Mauenheim property was leased for development.
The brief was unusual. It included a sanctuary. It also needed liturgical and congregational spaces. A daycare center was essential. Thirteen market-rate apartments were added. These would fund the new construction. Architect Joel Harris of Harris + Kurrle Architekten responded. His firm won the commission. He said they designed a unified form. The different parts were not separated. They wrapped around the church. The church was placed in the most prominent spot.
The Erlöserkirche Vingst stands on Derfflingerstrasse. This short street has trees and homes. The building fits the neighborhood. It is a sculpted cube with a carved-out middle. It defines a public space. This extends to a narrow street to the west. The church and its bell tower are in the southwest corner. You can see them from a commercial street nearby. The residential section rises five stories. It forms a backdrop. It opens onto a rear garden below.
Cost-cutting changed the plans. A parking garage was cut. The volume was reduced by one story. It capped at 56 feet. Four apartments were lost. The sanctuary’s height was lowered. Still the Erlöserkirche Vingst feels imposing. German critics compare it to a citadel. They evoke Martin Luther’s hymn. It is like “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The sand-toned clinker bricks add warmth. The textured arrangements make it approachable.
Harris says the building should look and feel like a church. Two facade strategies were used. Windowless elevations mark the sanctuary. The bell tower and major circulation areas also have this. Vertical windows serve the other functions. Religious symbols emerge subtly. A simple cross is on the western facade. Loaves and fishes appear on the south elevation. These are ancient Christian signs of hospitality.
Two main entrances exist. One is on the west for the church. The other is on the south side. This serves the housing and daycare center. Both doorways are accentuated. Flemish-bond brickwork surrounds them. It is rendered in basket weave relief. A quote from the Gospel of John embellishes the church entry. It is written on glass and metal. It uses German English Greek Latin and Hebrew. It invites seekers to enter.
Inside sacred spaces have white walls. Pale gray concrete floors are exposed. They are polished too. Religious artifacts connect old and new. Stained-glass panels by Elfrieda Fulda are backlit. They play against the austere finishes.
The church interior is intimate. It measures 40 feet wide and 45 feet long. It rises 18 feet high. Inclined wall and ceiling planes serve acoustics. Words from the center altar spread evenly.
Natural light illuminates the space. A shaft of light comes from the ceiling. It draws the eye to a cross. A new stained-glass window is on the south wall. Gabriele Wilperts created it. It projects color and pattern.
Pastor Susanne Zimmermann guided the project. It took a decade. She united two congregations. She mediated between them and the architect. Now the Erlöserkirche Vingst aims to be surrounded by life. Community events happen in the entrance court. Classes and celebrations fill the inside. Boundaries blur between worship and secular spaces. Shared circulation exists. Daycare children interact with tenants. Tenants include the pastor and her family. Interactions also happen with congregants.
Bringing people into contact with the church encourages spirituality. Even peripheral contact works. The building has sparked local curiosity. People look inside. They ask for tours. This interest has led to open devotional sessions. These happen on Sunday evenings. People gather with a musician or clergy. They discuss meditate or just experience the space. The church hasn’t only changed the streetscape. Its radiance has changed people too.