Symbolically suggestive.

SIR: Re Konigs Architekten's Burgweinting catholic church (AR September 2004), Christian Brensing says it is '... a radical departure from the familiar forms of ecclesiastical architecture'. As there are countless box-like modern churches, one assumes he is referring to its elliptical interior.

However, this church may owe something to a remarkable series of elliptical Catholic churches all studied variations on a theme--built by Rudolf Schwarz. These include St Michael Frankfurt 1953-54; St Maria Konigin, Saarbrucken, 1956-59; St Theresia, Linz, 1958-62; St Bonifatius, Witzlar, 1960-64; and, perhaps as the perigee of a vast elliptic, Heilig-Kreuz, Bottrop, 1952-57. This comment is not intended to diminish the Burgweinting church but rather to provide a frame of reference which brings some telling differences to the fore. Part of the appeal of Schwarz's churches, aside from seeing him repeatedly explore this theme, is a tension between their constructional rationalism and a plan form which, although arguably acoustic, is symbolically suggestive.

The Burgweinting church, on the other hand, minimizes tectonic expression in favour of visual effect; its almost explicitly theatrical sensibility necessarily evokes the German Counter Reformation's often theatrical churches.

Yours etc

DENNIS J. DE WITT 

Brookline, Mass, USA