john pawson sensitively restores st. moritz church in germany

‘st. moritz church’, located in the german city of augsburg, has undergone a sensitive refurbishment, conscious of respecting the building’s sacred atmosphere. john pawson’s intervention is designed to reprogram the one thousand year old church, restoring an aging structure which had been damaged by fire and wartime bombing.

view from the choir looking towards the nave of the church
image © gilbert mccarragher (also main image), all images courtesy of john pawson

evolving the architectural language of the design, the construction had been meticulously stripped back to its essential components, before modern materials and lighting methods were applied. important artifacts have been cleaned and relocated, establishing clearer and more direct fields of view, while reflective white walls conjure an expansive sense of space, creating a refined place of worship flooded with natural light.

the aisle of the church incorporates repositioned artifacts and statues
image © gilbert mccarragher

the building is flooded with natural light
images © gilbert mccarragher

the refurbishment includes newly installed wooden pews
images © gilbert mccarragher

looking upwards from the choir of the church
image © gilbert mccarragher

reflective white walls conjure an expansive sense of space
image © gilbert mccarragher

the church’s baptismal font
image © gilbert mccarragher

modern materials and lighting methods have been applied to the existing structure
images © gilbert mccarragher

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