Daylight and acoustics

The church in Nørresundby near Aalborg in northern Jutland has a new assembly hall, which at the same time connects the church with the large cemetery.

Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect Jens Dresling/Ritzau Scanpix

The Kirkens Hus project involved conversion work as well as adding an extension to the former parish hall. A former flower shop and a courtyard have been taken over to create an extension to the existing building, which is now significantly larger.

The Aalborg-based architects Krogh Arkitektur decided to replicate the design of the original building with skylights in the sloping roof surfaces and white buildings. The result is an elegant and independent building, which at the same time gives a nod to the white church.

The successive slanting roofs add a distinct identity to the building, while naturally defining the various functions inside. The former, smaller parish hall had no windows overlooking the cemetery, but this is now one of the main features of Kirkens Hus.

Calm ceilings

The entrance from the paved area opposite the church draws the new building much closer to the church. From here, an interior thoroughfare leads through the building, connecting all the rooms.

At the heart of the building is a large multi-purpose hall, which can be divided into three by means of folding walls. It is here in the middle of the building that you find the highest ceilings with light flooding in through the highly placed window.

To ensure superior acoustics, Troldtekt acoustic panels have been installed on the large ceiling surfaces. The floors are made of either wood or natural stone, and the Troldtekt panels in natural wood thus harmonise beautifully with the floor surfaces.

Krogh Arkitektur only wanted to use whole Troldtekt panels, and therefore the panels do not extend all the way out to the walls, which creates an elegant, white band that frames the ceilings.

Good acoustics are essential given the wide range of activities that take place in the building, from talks and concerts to small meetings and conversations. Kirkens Hus also houses an office, playroom, a schoolroom for confirmation classes, a kitchen and a café with views of the cemetery’s green spaces.