Oslo-based architects Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter put a modern spin on Norway’s stave churches, a structure typically built during the Middle Ages and known for its timber framework and wall plank sills. Located in Hordaland, Norway, the avant-garde chapel Knarvik Church dramatically juts out of its surrounding landscape. Constructed with pre-weathered pine and timber, the structure has several ascending roof planes, the tallest one being the church’s spire. Light filters in through the slotted windows, and the entire structure is clean and austere. The place of worship is essentially bare except for the round stained glass window and the rows of pine chairs facing the altar. “The project aims to be inviting and inclusive for all people and also to be an inspiring, worth place for gatherings that show respect for the Christian faith, people, climate and the environment,” say the architects.
