Building for the divine

A new multireligious building at Økern
Individua work
Studio TAP, AHO
2021

The task was to design a building at Økern, Oslo, that accommodates Christianity, Islam, and the Norwegian Humanist Association. Oslo currently has around 120 religious congregations, along with numerous non-religious groups, and the number continues to grow. 

A new congregational building should not only facilitate worship but also foster dialogue and encourage the exchange of ideas. Given the uncertainty around how many people will use the building and how large the groups may become in the future, the structure needs to be highly flexible and adaptable to changing needs. This project proposes an open structure featuring a series of smaller, sacred spaces accessible to all. 

A schedule and built up scenario for week 50 was used to create different types of spaces based on activity and attendance. The spaces are categorized from A to E by size and are either enclosed or connected to a courtyard, and each has dedicated storage for congregational use.

The spaces are flexible and can also be used for other activities such as group therapy, yoga sessions, dans classes and various activities for schools. When all 15 spaces are in use, the building can accommodate up to 2,700 people simultaneously for various events.