Mortensrud Church

Mortensrud Church in Oslo, Norway by Jensen & Skodvin

Photographs copyright Jiri Havran

Frank Lloyd Wright is famously quoted as saying "I believe in God, only I spell it 'Nature'." This way of thinking, this appreciation for the world and life around us is many times the exception to the rule. In far too many cases, money and other practicalities take precedence over our surroundings and a subsequent rift between humans and nature has resulted in many "civilized" societies. So it's refreshing to see the Mortensurd Church in rural Oslo, Norway by Jensen & Skodvin, a building that is not only influenced by its surroundings but is dictated by them.

On first glance, Mortensrud Church does not appear to be influenced by nature, its orthogonal glass walls resembling much neo-Modern architecture that's popular today. But given that these walls allow a visual connection to the outside from the church, we begin to see some of the contradictions (suitably) inherent in the design. From the bare timber bell tower and entry doors to the shed-like interior with industrial materials, the design does not scream "Church" but rather it finds ways to interact with its site in a way that many churches don't even try.

The most apparent use of natural materials are the stone walls of the church space, their solidity uneasily sitting above the transparency of the glass walls. But these stone walls are set without mortar so they admit light through the various gaps in their construction, as well as through the occasional rectangular opening.

Looking to the floor of the church, one sees an anomaly: a stone outcropping jutting into the middle of the space where seats or pews might rather be placed. Here, as well as in the courtyard where pine trees rise through the walkways, we see how nature has dictated - or more appropriately has been incorporated into - the design. It's a small but initially jarring and substantial gesture that would make Frank Lloyd Wright smile.