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Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin
The Kaiser William Memorial Church is located in Berlin on the Kurfürstendamm. The original church on the site was built in the 1890s. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The present building, which consists of a church with an attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel, was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall.
The new church was designed by Egon Eiermann and consists of four buildings grouped around the remaining ruins of the old church. The initial design included the demolition of the spire of the old church but following pressure from the public, it was decided to incorporate it into the new design. The four buildings comprise, on the west of the ruins, the new church with a foyer to its west, and to the east of the ruins, a tower with a chapel to its northeast. These components are sited on a plateau measuring 100 metres long and 40 metres wide. The new buildings are constructed of concrete, steel and glass.
The walls of the church are made of a concrete honeycomb containing 21,292 stained glass inlays. The glass was designed by Gabriel Loire and it was inspired by the colours of the glass in Chartres Cathedral. The predominant colour is blue, with small areas of ruby red, emerald green and yellow. The church is 35 metres in diameter and 20.5 metres high with a capacity of over 1,000.
The new church was consecrated on May 25, 1962 - the same day as the new Coventry Cathedral - and features a cross made of nails from the old Coventry Cathedral.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin
The Kaiser William Memorial Church is located in Berlin on the Kurfürstendamm. The original church on the site was built in the 1890s. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The present building, which consists of a church with an attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel, was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall.
The new church was designed by Egon Eiermann and consists of four buildings grouped around the remaining ruins of the old church. The initial design included the demolition of the spire of the old church but following pressure from the public, it was decided to incorporate it into the new design. The four buildings comprise, on the west of the ruins, the new church with a foyer to its west, and to the east of the ruins, a tower with a chapel to its northeast. These components are sited on a plateau measuring 100 metres long and 40 metres wide. The new buildings are constructed of concrete, steel and glass.
The walls of the church are made of a concrete honeycomb containing 21,292 stained glass inlays. The glass was designed by Gabriel Loire and it was inspired by the colours of the glass in Chartres Cathedral. The predominant colour is blue, with small areas of ruby red, emerald green and yellow. The church is 35 metres in diameter and 20.5 metres high with a capacity of over 1,000.
The new church was consecrated on May 25, 1962 - the same day as the new Coventry Cathedral - and features a cross made of nails from the old Coventry Cathedral.