In Germany and Austria in the 1920s, several integrations of traditional and modern forms were attempted, aspiring to create an “evocative setting” for places of ritual. These spaces, according to Curtis, drew upon the “Expressionist interest in elongated motifs, and formal accentuations intended to evoke mood”. The church stands on the site of a small neo Romanesque brick church. The eastern part retains parts of the original Romanesque church. In “Sanctioning Modernism: Architecture and the Making of Postwar Identities”, the authors mention how Böhm “consciously adapted Gothic forms” in much of his work by incorporating parabolic and pointed arches and sequencing of said forms to establish a longitudinal direction. At the church of St. John the Baptist, he maintains an exterior monumentality comparable to the German Romanesque (the triple arch entrance), yet it combines “overtly” Gothic forms, modern construction, and Expressionist use of dramatic, partially concealed lighting (as well as the exterior’s rectangular forms).
The author of newchurcharchitecture.wordpress.com explains that the nave’s zigzag pattern evokes “complex” symbolism; one example being the giant fish in Jonah’s story. The rectangular pillars are angled almost parallel to the slanted concrete walls. The author of the blog explains that while the vaults are highly decorative, this is meant to add to the mysterious atmosphere yet light atmosphere Böhm intended. The vaults are in fact suspended structures created by using the “rabitz technique” (cement mortar cast onto wire forms and bent into shape).
Following Postwar reconstruction, the window slits in the church were widened deterring some of the “mystic” effect Böhm had initially achieved. In 1985, this was further diminished by the addition of suspended lamps.
For this account, I had a lot more trouble finding varied and detailed sources, but the combination of styles and the idea of innovating in religious places for the increasingly modern practitioner is quite compelling. If anyone has more information feel free to send my way.
To Learn More:
Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture since 1900 third edition p.298.
Kuli, Vladimir; Parker, Timothy; Penick, Monica. Sanctioning Modernism: Architecture and the Making of Postwar Identities. p. 170
http://www.tourismus.ulm.de/web/en/ulm-und-neu-ulm/kirchen-kloester/johann-baptist.php
https://newchurcharchitecture.wordpress.com/2014/03/09/dominikus-bohm/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Dominikus_Bohm.aspx
photo credit: tourismus.ulm.de and newchurcharchitecture.wordpress.com
