St Nikolaj Church () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport city 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 area, urban population of 71,554 (1 January ...

in the southwest of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. 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 born ...

, 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 a biblical Temple in Jerusalem believed to have existed between the 10th and 6th centuries Common Era, BCE. Its description is largely based on narratives in the Hebrew Bible, in which it ...

as described in

Ezekiel Ezekiel, also spelled Ezechiel (; ; ), was an Israelite priest. The Book of Ezekiel, relating his visions and acts, is named after him. The Abrahamic religions acknowledge Ezekiel as a prophet. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied ...

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 Esbjerg Municipality Roman Catholic churches completed in 1969 Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Denmark