the gloss and the glory – visitor centre st. michael's church, spatial design, facade design and signage system, hamburg 2022
hamburg’s iconic lutheran church of st michael – familiarly known as the “michel” – only appears to be baroque. in fact the original church burned down and was rebuilt in 1912. conversely, the design of the glass façade for the new visitor centre only appears to be completely new. in reality it plays with the old motifs of baroque architecture, multiplying and transforming them into new patterns. the typeface used in the signage system is new, too – though its forms are typically baroque. and like the glass facade’s gossamer patterning it has a highly reflective finish, adding gloss to the glory.
visitor centre st. michael's church
spatial design, facade design and signage system
hamburg 2022
client:
st. michael's church
architect:
stölken schmidt architekten
communication design:
büro uebele
visuelle kommunikation
project team:
carolin himmel
justyna sikora (project manager)
andreas uebele
facade print:
glasmalerei peters
photos:
hans-christian schink
typeface:
own (borghese) in collaboration with gabriel richter