This article was taken from the September 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
When Frankfurt-based architects [Schneider +
Schumacher](https://www.schneider-schumacher.de/) were asked to build a church next to a German motorway, they drew inspiration from the area's road signs. "With the pile of fast-food restaurants and cheap hotels nearby, we could not build a traditional church," says the firm's principal architect Michael Schumacher. So they decided to capture the brash motorway vibe -- and the Autobahn Church Siegerland was born.
The church was built entirely on a frugal, donated budget of
€1.3 million (£1.04 million), which put restrictions in place that Schumacher believes enhance the design. "We wanted to have cheap material; it's not St Peter's Basilica, it's on a motorway, and it has to use the language of the motorway."
Parametric digital design software was used to create the plan, allowing for continuous adjustment. A computer-controlled milling machine was used to cut a lattice dome made from 66 slotted-together chipboard ribs in the most efficient way possible. "To cut these strange shapes there's usually waste, but we really used all the wood," says Schumacher.
Motorway churches are increasingly common in Germany and, partly thanks to its eye-catching design, Autobahn Church Siegerland has already had more than 70,000 visitors in its first year. "People don't go to churches -- we have to bring the church to the people," says Schumacher. "And the people are here." Amen to that.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
