‘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
photo © gilbert mccarragher

 

 

 

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
photo © gilbert mccarragher

 

 


the building is flooded with natural light
photos © gilbert mccarragher

 

 


the refurbishment includes newly installed wooden pews
photos © gilbert mccarragher

 

 


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

 

 


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

 

 


the church’s baptismal font
photo © gilbert mccarragher

 

 


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

 

john pawson st moritz church designboom
site plan
john pawson st moritz church designboom
floor plan
john pawson st moritz church designboom
section
john pawson st moritz church designboom
section