St. Michael, Regen
The goal of the re-design of the St. Michael Parish Church in Regen is to unify two churches
– an older one and a newer one – to create one space.
This is achieved by creating a new, shared center. The new altar occupies the center on a cruciform altar island under the ceiling's apex. Above the altar a skylight penetrates the roof and opens toward the space. The pews are arranged in a circular configuration around the altar, the baptismal font enters into a dialogue with the altar. An ethereal light shines on the east wall thanks to two new light niches that were introduced in the proportions of the existing fenestration to complete the space around the altar.
A semi-apsis develops out of the east wall: it houses the tabernacle at the intersection with the "light space". The late Gothic Christ between the two new openings in the church's axis is situated at the centre of the Alpha and Omega. The design builds on the existing spatial geometry of the basic forms: square = balance.