The St. Hallvard church is located on the hill of Enerhaugen amidst a circle of residential highrise apartment blocks. Responding to this unusual urban situation, the church establishes a central reference point to the area and its enclosed appearance gives the building a concealed expression.
From the outside, the church appears as a strict square, a modest building, clad in brown brick. Inside, a circled shaped nave is revealed and a concave dome hovers from the ceiling. This majestic inverted cupola appears as being molded from above, a sensation of power from the heaven and sky, creating this majestic shape. Though majestic, the cupola also creates a sacral, intimate space and its thin concrete shell gives the spectator a chance to wonder of what may be hidden on its other side.
The floor of the nave ascends towards the altar, a settle but powerful detail, emphasizing the sensation of the earth rising towards the heaven and the altar. The walls slope gradually outwards, 3 degrees, for acoustic reasons. Apart from the large glass entrance door, hardly any natural light slips into the sacred room. The church seats from 300 to 350, with additional seating for 70 in the chapel.
“The force of the structure combined with the subtlety of detail is most moving” – Juhani Pallasmaa.
“And in some of the work, particulary St. Hallvard’s, Oslo, Lund+Slaatto have added a level of magic and richness to which the Master (Mies van der Rohe) never aspired – the church is one of the most numinous buildings of the twentieth century.” – Peter Davey
