designboom · Creativity & design

David Altrath Photographs Germany's Autobahnkirche Siegerland

Photographer David Altrath has captured the Autobahnkirche Siegerland, a roadside chapel designed by schneider+schumacher. The series explores the building's geometric exterior and its contrasting warm, timber interior.

The chapel, completed in 2013 near Wilnsdorf, Germany, is designed for travelers. Its exterior mimics a church pictogram with pointed spires and a folded white volume, photographed from various perspectives to highlight its sharp lines and planes.

Altrath's work shifts focus to the interior's material and structural elements. A vaulted gridshell, constructed from engineered lumber, forms a dense geometric pattern across the walls and ceiling.

The photographs emphasize the repetition of the timber ribs and how natural light interacts with the structure. Skylights and openings introduce daylight, creating dynamic patterns on the curved timber surfaces.

The series documents the chapel as a study in geometry, material, and light, contrasting its graphic exterior with the enveloping timber interior. The architectural details become more apparent when observed at a slower pace.

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