Monday, February 3, 2014

On the yellow-brick trail.


I attended the morning service at the Grundtvig's Church, at På Bjerget 14B, in Bispebjerg district of Copenhagen, just over 1 km from my studio. 

The most striking feature of the building is its west facade (in the middle of the picture),
reminiscent of the exterior of a church organ. It includes the 49 m tall bell tower.
The buildings at the left and right, are part of the residential development,
by the same architects.

It is a rare example of expressionist church architecture. Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint was the architect. Due to its unusual appearance, it is one of the best known churches in the city.


This design is all about bricks: Walls, ceiling and floor. 
No plaster, wood, metals, tiles, paint, tapestry. 


The foundation of the new church was only laid in 1921. The tower section was the last to be completed and inaugurated in 1927. Further work on the interior and on adjacent buildings continued until 1940 and was completed by the designer's son, Kaare Klint, after his father's death in 1930.

The church stands at the center of a residential development (1924–36), also in yellow brick, designed by Jensen-Klint in harmony with the church. Imagine that! This section of Bispebjerg is called Bispeparken. 


The layout of Bispeparken; the church and residential area.

Picture-perfect! Every building and the spacial planning done by a father and son-architect team. 

Church homepage: http://www.grundtvigskirke.dk/inenglish


Maltid, the restaurant where I lunched, is part of Bispeparken,
with some more residences in the reflection.

Even this sculpture Sneugle (1963),
by Af Gunner Westman harmonise with the yellowbrick theme.


The church has two organs, both built by Marcussen & Søn. The smaller one (1940) has 14 stops, two manuals and a pedalboard. The much larger instrument was added in 1965 with a facade designed by Kaare Klint's son, Esben Klint. It has 55 stops, four manuals and a pedalboard. The largest of its pipes weighs 425 kg and, with a length of 11 m, is the longest organ pipe in Scandinavia. 

Church exterior and interior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWsuu4Z6p3U