Ny Våler church

Ny Våler Church is a modern long church made of wood, reflecting the forms and light of the surrounding forest as an integral part of the church’s space. The building consists of rhythmic, prefabricated wooden frames that create a sculptural structure inspired by tree canopies. The church serves as a significant meeting place that connects community, nature, and faith.

In the proposal, Ny Våler Church is presented as a modern interpretation of the traditional long church. It was designed to be built within a tight budget as a replacement for a church that had burned down.

CLEAR CONNECTION TO THE FORESTS

The building is designed as a wooden structure that expresses a clear connection to Våler’s forests and identity. Wood is the church’s primary material, and the language of the forest shapes both the building’s forms and its light. The church is not only a sacred space for the personal encounter between God and humanity but also serves as a meeting point between humanity and nature, and between the community and God.

SCULPTURAL MOVEMENT RESEMBLING A CANOPY

The design of Ny Våler Church is a pure structure of rhythm, tectonics, and materiality. It is composed of a series of wooden frames made of prefabricated wooden trusses. The load-bearing frame creates the interior expression of a gliding, sculptural movement, resembling a canopy, with light filtering through the branches and leaves of the trees. The church speaks the language of Våler’s forests. It transforms the forest and nature into a space within the church.

The church will stand out as a prominent gathering point, both visually and spiritually. The building’s roof and the freestanding wooden church tower will cut through the landscape and rise organically alongside the treetops in the background.

Culture

Transformation

Public

Private

Planning