The New Lutheran Church in Piliscsaba

Architect: András Krizsán
Text: Levente Móré
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

It had been a long-standing dream of the congregation of the Béthel Evangelical Missionary Home to have a permanent church. The wooden church was built back in the 1960s, then as a temporary place of worship. Today the building is in a sadly bad state of repair. Instead of trying to save it, the congregation finally had a new church built, which is located on the corner of a road junction. Its belfry was placed right on the corner as a powerful motif, so that it could be seen from every direction, just like the adjoining entrance, which, as a protected courtyard with an arcade and a semi-atrium, protects people entering here and also helps them to transcend. The exterior is defined by a lattice-clad roof above the height of the cornice featured by the arcade, which borders the central square space with a gable wall in four directions, structured in a regular transept design. Designers have sought to use natural building materials: wood and brick are predominant throughout the building. The central space, covered by a regular cross, marks the building’s function with a security similar to that of a tower, but also guides the interior towards a culminating point. The four glazed gable walls are finely laminated, which helps the interior receive natural light depending on the time of day. The rear section of the church, which seats approximately 100 people, can be connected to the assembly hall by sliding doors, allowing for up to 30-40 additional seats.

Architect: András Krizsán DLA – MODUM Architects
Structure: Ákos Medek – MEDEK Office
Interiors: András Göde
Garden: Dániel Varga
HVAC: Csaba Rosza
Electrical engineering, lightning protection: Dávid Sándor
Client: Evangelic Lutheran Church of Hungary
Main contractor: Pesti Építő Ltd.
Project management: László Zámbó