Herzog & de Meuron
Competition
1989
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Process

The sloped property and existing small private homes convinced the architects to excavate the slope and condense the liturgical areas of the church in a large volume, placing the simple cube down at the lower level by the river.

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Various versions develop a ground plan from the traditional architecture of the orthodox church (I), which would be a mediator between church and city. The solution is two volumes, one set into the other.

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The light entering the inside of the church through the interstitial space is filtered by marble panels and creates a warm, honey tinged shade. B The marble panels were to be etched following reproductions of old icons which today are lost or can only be found in museums, removed from their original purpose. The pictorial figurative images form abstract patterns when viewed up close.

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The model shows the gathering of differently shaped volumes inside the church and the translucent enclosure of materials with varying transparency, protecting them like a shell. D The icon paintings in old orthodox churches inspired the icon theme. By translating the historic example into a different material and technique, it is quoted from a respectful distance.

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Drawings

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Team

Facts

Client
Griechisch-orthodoxe Gemeinde der Schweiz und Hochbauamt der Stadt ZĂĽrich

Bibliography

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1989-1991. The Complete Works. Volume 2.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Chinese ed. Beijing, China Architecture & Building Press, 2010. Vol. No. 2.

Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 1981-2000. Between the Face and the Landscape. The Cunning of Cosmetics. Entre el Rostro y el Paisaje. La Astucia de la CosmĂ©tica.” 2nd adv. and rev. ed. Vol. No. 60+84, Madrid, El Croquis, 2005.

Nobuyuki Yoshida (Ed.): “Architecture and Urbanism. Herzog & de Meuron 1978-2002.” Tokyo, A+U Publishing Co., Ltd., 02.2002.

“Herzog & de Meuron. Natural History.” Edited by: Philip Ursprung. Exh. Cat. “Herzog & de Meuron. Archaeology of the Mind.” Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. 23 October 2002 – 6 April 2003. 2nd ed. Baden, Lars MĂĽller, 2005.

Herzog & de Meuron: “Ornament. Ricola Europe SA., Sportanlage Pfaffenholz, Bibliothek der Fachhochschulen Eberswalde, Griechisch-Orthodoxe Kirche in Zürich, Zwei Bibliotheken für den Campus von Jussieu.”
In: Marc Fester, Sabine Kraft, Nikolaus Kuhnert (Eds.) et al. “Archplus. Herzog & de Meuron. Minimalismus und Ornament.” Vol. No. 129/130, Aachen, ARCH+ Verlag GmbH, 12.1995. pp. 25-56.

Jacques Herzog: “Recent Work of Herzog & de Meuron.” In: Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (Ed.). “Columbia Documents of Architecture and Theory.” Vol. No. 4, New York, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, 1995. pp. 5-25.

“Architectures of Herzog & de Meuron. Portraits by Thomas Ruff.” Exh. Cat. “Herzog & de Meuron and Thomas Ruff.” Peter Blum Gallery, New York. 5 June – 5 September 1994. 2nd ed. New York, Peter Blum, 1995.

Jacques Lucan: “Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron. Vers une Architecture.” In: Dieter Bachmann (Ed.). “Du. Die Zeitschrift der Kultur. Pendenzen. Neuere Architektur in der deutschen Schweiz.” Vol. No. 5, Zurich, Conzett + Huber Zeitschriften AG, 05.1992. pp. 28-33.

Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron: “Gedanken über ein unverwirklichtes Projekt einer griechisch-orthodoxen Kirche in Zürich. Thoughts on a Project for a Greek Orthodox Church in Zurich.”
In: Gerhard Mack (Ed.). “Herzog & de Meuron 1989-1991. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 2. The Complete Works. Volume 2.” 2nd adv. and rev. ed. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 2005. Vol. No. 2. p. 91.