• Client: VÅLER KIRKELIGE FELLESRÅD
• Location: VÅLER / NORWAY
• Project Type: CHURCH BUILDING
• Year:2011
• Status:COMPETITION ENTRY

In 2009 the religious community of the small Norwegian village Våler lost its wooden church building, dating from 1805, in a fire. They decided to organize an international design competition for the new church building. The intention was to bring new élan into the community, which would ideally attract young people to come and settle in Våler. This requires an open, accessible building that also functions as a landmark. Monadnock’s proposal combines a clear basic form with a monumental interior. The round building is accessible from various sides, whereby the main entrance is situated directly behind the former church. On entering the church, one arrives in a ring of low spaces in which all the secondary functions are housed. From here it is possible to enter the high, central prayer hall, which consists of a square basal area with an immense wooden ceiling crowned with a skylight. There are balconies on all sides that enlarge the prayer hall, when necessary. Warm light enters the space over these balconies through the veneered glass section in the facade. The roof is accessible and offers a view of the nearby river.