The construction of Grundtvigs Kirke in Copenhagen took nearly two decades, beginning in fall of 1921 and finally reaching completion in 1940. Designed by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, it transforms the humble brick into a masterpiece of Expressionist architecture. Its pointed interior arches and vaulted ceiling, stepped crenellations, and hulking exterior nod to medieval Gothic and Romanesque styles while also exhibiting a profoundly modern sensibility.
David Altrath, a Hamburg-based photographer whose work emphasizes urban and architectural elements, captures Grundtvigs’ details in an atmospheric cumulative portrait. Bathed in mellow, golden light, the church’s pale yellow bricks appear to glow, complemented by minimal interior decor beyond some simple wooden furniture and altars.
“The building feels both austere and atmospheric, especially in the way light moves through the interior spaces and emphasizes the geometry of the structure,” Altrath tells Colossal. He’s always seeking unique relationships between form, light, and atmosphere.
The church’s tall vertical lines and symmetry required careful attention to composition in order to capture the building’s architectural geometry, and the interior lighting conditions can vary depending on the weather or time of day. “I enjoyed working with these constraints and trying to capture both the structure of the building and the quiet atmosphere of the space,” he says.
Altrath is currently photographing modernist and contemporary architecture across Europe. See more on Instagram.
