Grundtvig's Church () is located in the Bispebjerg district of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Denmark. It is a rare example of expressionist church architecture. Due to its originality, it is one of the best known churches in the city.

History

The commission for the construction of a church to be named after the Danish philosopher, pastor and hymn writer N. F. S. Grundtvig was decided through a competition, won by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint in 1913. The foundation of the new church was only laid after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, on 8 September 1921, Grundtvig's birthday. Building took place mainly from 1921 to 1926 when the tower section was completed, leading to the initial inauguration of the so-called Tower Church in 1927. Further work on the interior and on adjacent buildings continued until 1940 and was completed by Klint's son

Kaare Klint Kaare Klint (15 December 1888 – 28 March 1954) was a Danish architect and furniture designer, known as the father of modern Danish furniture design. His style was epitomized by clean, pure lines, use of the best materials of his time and ...

after his father's death in 1930. The church stands at the centre of a residential development (1924–36), also in yellow brick, designed by Jensen-Klint in harmony with the church.

Architecture

Jensen-Klint's design for Grundtvig's Church is a synthesis of architectural styles. In preparation for the project, the architect studied many Danish village churches, particularly those on the island of

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

with stepped gables. Their traditional building techniques, materials and decoration inspired his design. Klint merged the modern geometric forms of

Brick Expressionism The term Brick Expressionism () describes a specific variant of Expressionist architecture that uses bricks, tiles or clinker bricks as the main visible building material. Buildings in the style were erected mostly in the 1920s, primarily in Ge ...

with the classical vertical of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

. The most striking feature of the building is its west façade, reminiscent of a westwork or of the exterior of a

church organ Carol Williams performing at the West_Point_Cadet_Chapel.html" ;"title="United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel">United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel. In music, the organ is a keyboard instrument of one or mo ...

. It includes the 49 m (160 ft) tall bell tower. The imposing façade with its strong verticality guides one's eyes towards the sky. The bottom half of the tower is simple brick while the upper reaches present the appearance of one solid, rippling surface.. Klint decorated the nave with a version of the stepped gables common on Danish churches, but reinterpreted by doubling the apex. The nave was designed with generous dimensions: the triple-aisled

hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...

is 76 m (259 ft) long in total and 35 m (115 ft) wide; the nave has a height of 22 m (72 ft).

Interior

The interior, inspired by Gothic architecture and comparable in size to Copenhagen cathedral, holds a congregation of 1,440. Some five million yellow

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

s, a typical Danish building material, were used for the edifice. In its floor plan, the interior resembles that of a typical

Gothic church Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

with a nave, two lateral

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

s and a small

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

. Its proportions are also Gothic: a long, narrow nave, an extremely high ceiling, the columns which rise up to pointed arches and the ribbed groin vaults above the nave and aisles. But it is the yellow brick and the lack of ornamentation which contribute to the Gothic verticality while adhering to the minimalist modern aesthetic.

The two organs

The church has two organs. The one on the north side of the nave near the chancel was built in 1940 by Marcussen & Søn, the façade being designed by Kaare Klint. It has 14 stops, two manuals and a pedalboard. The much larger Marcussen instrument at the western end of the nave was added in 1965 with a façade 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 (937 lb) and, with a length of 32 feet (11 m), is the longest organ pipe in Scandinavia.

Integration and flanking buildings

The scheme also included the construction of a number of buildings collectively known as ''On the Hill'' (da. ''På Bjerget'') on each side of the church, placing it in a symmetrical context to enhance its visual impact. Designed by Jensen-Klint in collaboration with Vilhelm Wittrup, Charles I. Schou and Georg Gøssel, the buildings contain the parish hall and apartments and were built from 1924 to 1926. A long tree-lined road leads through Bispebjerg cemetery directly towards the church and the flanking buildings, creating a viewing axis similar to those of the Baroque period.

Grundtvig's church today

The church is open to visitors all year, not just at the times of services. The great Marcussen organ is regularly used for concerts. The church is equipped with a wheelchair stair lift for the disabled people.

Gallery

File:Pv jensen-klint 05 grundtvig memorial church 1913-1940.jpg, Façade file:Grundtvigskirken - Church chairs.jpg, Nave, looking towards choir File:Grundtvigskirken-grundsten-2005.jpg, Foundation stone File:Grundtvigskirken-lysekrone-2005.jpg, Chandelier file:Grundtvigskirken-vest-2005-3.jpg, West façade File:P.v. jensen-klint 09, grundtvig memorial church.jpg, Vaulting detail File:Grundtvigskirken-alter-2005.jpg, Altar file:Grundtvigskirken-nord-2005.jpg, Nave, north side File:Grundvig church nave vaulting.jpg, Vaulting in the southern section of the nave File:Pv jensen-klint 10 grundtvig memorial church 1913-1940.jpg, Interior

References

20+C+M+B+20

Bibliography

* .

External links

Renderings
in the Danish National Art Library
Source
{{Copenhagen 1940 establishments in Denmark Brick Expressionism Churches completed in 1940 Churches in Bispebjerg Churches in the Diocese of Copenhagen Landmarks in Copenhagen Lutheran churches in Copenhagen N. F. S. Grundtvig 20th-century Church of Denmark churches 20th-century Lutheran churches 1920s churches in Denmark