Projects / Culture
Bøler Church, Oslo
The sloping terrain gives the new church at Bøler a familiar connection with nature: this is how Norwegian architecture expresses the sacred.
Architect: Hansen/Bjørndal Arkitekter AS. Landscape architects: Trifolia landskapsarkitekter
Published 12 Apr, 2012
The new Bøler Church is the result of an open architectural competition in 2004. The church stretches across a falling terrain, with the main functions either elevated on a plateau or dug into the ground. The main spaces are oriented vertically and connected by a processional axis. Administrative and support functions are located in the side wings. There is a parish kindergarten and youth club at basement level.
The main church hall is entered through an anteroom, and the ceiling lifts towards the far wall. The glazed areas of the sidewalls give glimpses of the vegetation outside and the shifting seasons. The main roof structure is steel, supported by brick and concrete and concealed by a timber ceiling. Flat roofs have a green sedum covering.
Furnishings in the main church hall are designed by Hole design AS in collaboration with the architects.
Landscape architecture
The main focus of the landscaping around Bøler Church has been to welcome people and lead them around. The characteristics of the site are the nearby Bøler brook, the view of the Østensjøvannet Lake and the forest to the north. The main materials are in-situ concrete, used throughout to negotiate the varied terrain. The play areas for the kindergarten are filled and screened to protect the children from the nearby noisy road, and have access to the forest.
The main approach is flanked by cherry trees and lighting bollards. The outdoor spaces of the church are paved in granite with details in corten steel.