Bagsværd Church

Denmark
Built in 1973-76, Bagsværd Church was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jørn Utzon.

Photo © Bent Ryberg/Planet Foto

Bagsværd Church

Commenting on his design for the Bagsværd Church, Jørn Utzon wrote:

"At an exhibition of my works, including the Sydney Opera House there was also a drawing of a small church in the centre of a town. Two ministers representing a congregation that had been saving for 25 years to build a new church, saw it and asked me if I would be the architect for their church. There I stood, and was offered the finest task an architect can have - a magnificent time when it was the light from above that showed us the way."

According to Utzon, the genesis of the design went back to a time when he was teaching at the University of Hawaii and spent time on the beaches. One evening, he was struck by the regular passage of clouds, thinking they could be the basis for the ceiling of a church. His early sketches showed groups of people on the beach with clouds overhead. His sketches evolved with the people framed by columns on each side and billowing vaults above, and moving toward a cross.

More about Jørn Utzon

• Life and works of Jørn Utzon
• Jørn Utzon Photo Tour