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Church St. Engelbert Cologne
Garthestrasse 15, Cologne
1930 - 1932
In
1930 the City of Cologne had announced a limited architectural
competition among five architects. The participants were asked for
alternative designs
for rectangular buildings and rotundas. A narrow parcel on the Riehler Gürtel was made available for this project. Dominikus Böhm submitted three projects,
of which two designs envisaged a central structure. The two proposals for central buildings featured an orientation transverse to the main road.
In his explanatory text, the architect pointed out the scarcity of pure central buildings for christian churches and referred to the baptisteries in Italy.
His project 3, one of the central structures, was awarded the first prize in the competition.
The church St.Engelbert is a concrete structure on a circular plan, whose outer walls are divided into eight segments. The elevation of the church consists
of a ring of curved, parabolic walls. These wall slabs are covered by barrel vaults with a slightly rising crest line. The exterior of the building is covered with a brick shell.
A rectangular annex has been added to the main body to contain the chor. This Annex is covered by a smaller parabolic vault. This space is lit by one large,
lateral prabolic window. The plastically shaped building has a strong ridged outer contour, which is reminiscent of draperies. However, in popular language
the building was given the nickname "lemon squeezer". Next to the church there is a free-standing square tower with sound openings. The interior of the church
is flooded in a dim light, while the choir is brightly lit by the mentioned sidelight. The walls are plastered smooth and only a few pieces of equipment enliven the sparse interior.
for rectangular buildings and rotundas. A narrow parcel on the Riehler Gürtel was made available for this project. Dominikus Böhm submitted three projects,
of which two designs envisaged a central structure. The two proposals for central buildings featured an orientation transverse to the main road.
In his explanatory text, the architect pointed out the scarcity of pure central buildings for christian churches and referred to the baptisteries in Italy.
His project 3, one of the central structures, was awarded the first prize in the competition.
The church St.Engelbert is a concrete structure on a circular plan, whose outer walls are divided into eight segments. The elevation of the church consists
of a ring of curved, parabolic walls. These wall slabs are covered by barrel vaults with a slightly rising crest line. The exterior of the building is covered with a brick shell.
A rectangular annex has been added to the main body to contain the chor. This Annex is covered by a smaller parabolic vault. This space is lit by one large,
lateral prabolic window. The plastically shaped building has a strong ridged outer contour, which is reminiscent of draperies. However, in popular language
the building was given the nickname "lemon squeezer". Next to the church there is a free-standing square tower with sound openings. The interior of the church
is flooded in a dim light, while the choir is brightly lit by the mentioned sidelight. The walls are plastered smooth and only a few pieces of equipment enliven the sparse interior.