David Altrath Captures Timber Interior of German Chapel

Photographer David Altrath has turned his lens toward the Autobahnkirche Siegerland, a distinctive roadside chapel designed by schneider+schumacher beside the A45 motorway near Wilnsdorf, Germany. His photographic series centers on the building's sculptural geometry, capturing the sharp contrast between its stark white exterior and the warm, intricate timber framework inside.

Completed in 2013, the chapel serves as a designated sanctuary for travelers seeking a moment of pause along the highway. Its exterior translates a familiar church pictogram into a three-dimensional architectural volume featuring two pointed spires rising above folded white planes. Altrath documents this silhouette from various distances, emphasizing its crisp edges and sharp slopes against the surrounding landscape.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

The photographic series then transitions to examine the material and structural makeup of the interior. A vaulted gridshell built from 66 engineered lumber profiles curves seamlessly across the walls and ceiling, forming a dense geometric pattern. Altrath's images draw focus to the repetition of these timber ribs and how natural daylight interacts with the structure, filtering through small roof openings and large skylights within the spires to cast shifting patterns on the curved wooden panels.

Through this documentation, Altrath presents the Autobahnkirche as a comprehensive study in geometry, materials, and light. By shifting perspectives between the graphic exterior and the enveloping wooden interior, the series highlights architectural details that become apparent only when experiencing the space at a deliberate pace.

Source: designboom