St Nikolaj Church ( da, Skt. Nikolaj Kirke) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)

in the southwest of

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. Designed by

Johan Otto von Spreckelsen Johan Otto von Spreckelsen (4 May 1929 — 16 March 1987) was a Danish architect, best known for designing the Grande Arche of La Défense in Puteaux, near Paris. He directed the creation of several modern churches in Denmark. Life He was b ...

, the rectangular building of aerated concrete was completed and consecrated in 1969.

Architecture

St Nikolaj Church was von Spreckelsen's first cube and square design which he developed around New Year 1968. As a result, it became known as ''kubekirken'' (the cube church). He was later to use the same approach in designing the

Grande Arche La Grande Arche de la Défense (; "The Great Arch of the Defense"), originally called La Grande Arche de la Fraternité (; "Fraternity"), is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west ...

in Paris, completed in 1989. The dimensions of the inner cube of St Nikolaj Church are very close to those of the "holy of holies" in

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...

as described in

Ezekiel Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...

40:5. The use of aerated concrete was unusual at the time. It was considered to be a creative, aesthetically new solution chosen by the architect who was working on a tight budget. As with von Spreckelsen's other churches, the walls are topped by a horizontal belt, in this case made of zinc. They are broken by slightly lower projecting sections with windows at the top, bringing light down into the interior. The recessed roof rests on these projections while the cube's four tower-like corners also allow light to penetrate into the church. The simple square-shaped structure is unusual for a religious building. Although small and modest, the church has a very expressive design. The geometric, crystalline form of the interior gives a spatial effect, allowing the room to grow beyond its boundaries. Lighting from above gives the white concrete walls a receding look. The woodwork is pine while the flooring is of cement tiles and pine. The altar, which stands on a low podium, stands opposite the entrance and the organ. There is a bench behind the altar for the priest while the congregation sits on pews which fan out forming a semi-circle around the altar. The complex also consists of a rectory as well as a wing with meeting rooms. The glazed passageway joining these to the church acts as an entrance to both the church and the other facilities. The church has seating for 100.

References

Literature

External links

Sankt Nikolai Kirke website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Nicholas' Church, Esbjerg Buildings and structures in Esbjerg Churches in the Region of Southern Denmark Roman Catholic churches completed in 1969 Catholic Church in Denmark Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Denmark