Mortensrud Church Explained

Mortensrud Church
Fullname:Mortensrud kirke
Pushpin Map:Norway
Coordinates:59.8467°N 10.8323°W
Location:Helga Vaneks vei 15, Mortensrud,
Oslo,
Country:Norway
Denomination: Church of Norway
Churchmanship:Evangelical Lutheran
Website:kirken.no
Consecrated Date:2002
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Materials:Glass, stone, steel and brick
Parish:Klemetsrud og Mortensrud
Deanery:Søndre Aker
Diocese:Diocese of Oslo

Mortensrud Church is a modern church at Mortensrud in the borough of Søndre Nordstrand in Oslo, Norway.[1]

Design

The project team was managed by Berit Hunnestad (KKV) and consisted of architect Jan Olav Jensen (Jensen & Skodvin Architects), furniture designer and interior designer Terje Hope and sculptor Gunnar Torvund. Rigmor Bove from KKV has supplied the church textiles.[2]

Awards

The building has received numerous architectural awards, including the European Steel Design Award 2003, Norwegian steel construction prize for 2003 and the architects were awarded the Grosch medal for 2003.

In 2007 the church was designated one of the most important post-war buildings in Norway. The architects, Jensen & Skodvin AS, were awarded the Houen Foundation Award in 2008.[3]

The building

The church opened on 28 April 2002. It is located on a wooded knoll surrounded by tall pine trees. There are two main components, the church to the north and parish centre in the south.

The church building floor plan has elongated, rectangular shape with a pitched roof over the nave. As an extension of the church is the church square with a flat roof. The campanile of the church is in the south-western corner. Strong walls of slate enhance the colours of the woodland, while the large glass surfaces reflect vegetation.[4]

Interior

The interior consists of nave with two aisles of 460 sq metres including gallery and chapel. The church floor is not level, it follows the terrain and falls 0.5m from one end to the other.

Furnishings

The pulpit, a simple reading desk in steel and wood, is fixed in the rock. The altar is not centred in the choir but slightly to the east. It includes three stones; one from the Berlin Wall, one from Robben Island and one from Jerusalem.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: On rocky ground – the Mortensrud Church in Oslo by Jensen & Skodvin. Stylepark AG . October 1, 2017.
  2. Road to Mortensrud of Architecture in Norway. Ulf Grønvold. Norwegian Architecture Museum Yearbook 2002
  3. Web site: Houens Fonds Diplom 2008. Norske arkitekters landsforbund. October 1, 2017.
  4. New Stone Architecture. David Dernie. Laurence King Publishing, 10 Feb 2003