Thomaskirche in the estate
The St. Thomas Church in Good is an Evangelical Reformed Church building in Zurich city quarter Wiedikon . The church is located at Burstwiesenstrasse 44 in the Im Gut district , northeast of the Triemli City Hospital . Since January 1, 2019, the Thomaskirche and the Zentrum Im Gut have belonged to parish three of the Evangelical Reformed parish of Zurich.
Building history
From the middle of the 19th century, Wiedikon grew from a tranquil place to a densely populated district of Zurich. In order to provide pastoral care in the newly built, child-rich settlements around Birmensdorferstrasse , the Reformed parish of Wiedikon decided to build a new church and parish center. In 1953 there was a competition that architect Hans Hofmann won. The church was built from 1959 to 1961 according to his plans; The architects in charge were Oskar Bitterli and Ernst Rohrer .
description
investment
The symmetrical complex is completed on the west side by the free-standing bell tower. From there, paths in the form of a Latin cross lead across the extensive forecourt of the church. This is surrounded on three sides by parts of the church center. From the cross arms of the path you can reach the hall wing on the north side and the wing on the south side, which houses the offices and classrooms. The actual church building rises in the middle of the square and takes up the entire width of the square. There are green spaces on both sides of the nave . Behind these, adjoining the corners of the church, there are living rooms for the pastor and staff in two further parts of the building. In between there is a third green area.
Exterior
The free-standing bell bearer has the shape of a steep pyramid , similar to the tower of the Zollikerberg Church or that of the Catholic Church of Maria Krönung in Witikon . This rests on four concrete pillars and has small portholes instead of a large acoustic window . There are dials on all four sides . The facades of the church building are made of exposed brick , the color of which gives the church its characteristic character. Projecting bricks form a monumental cross on the west facade. It is supplemented by light slits at regular intervals. A mighty gable roof closes the nave.
The bell tower consists of a steel frame that is covered with roof tiles. The tower hides a five-part bell, which was created in 1960 by the H. Rüetschi bell foundry . The tone sequence corresponds to the Westminster bell . The Thomaskirche is the only church in the city of Zurich that has such a bell.
| number | Weight | volume | Surname | inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3350 kg | B ° | Thomas | My lord and my god |
| 2 | 1450 kg | it' | John | God is love |
| 3 | 1000 kg | f ' | Luke | Your faith saved you, go in peace |
| 4th | 730 kg | G' | Markus | Do not be afraid, just believe |
| 5 | 420 kg | b ' | Matthew | See, I am with you every day |
inner space
The artistic design of the door handle of the main portal is based on Christian symbols: fish and omega . The church interior takes up the shape of a tent. The church is illuminated by the floor-to-ceiling windows, which reveal the two green spaces flanking the church. The benches are located in a round recess in the floor and are themselves semicircular, so that they are reminiscent of a Greek theater . This type of seating particularly meets the needs of the Reformed (the sermon is at the center of the liturgy ). The liturgy zone is dominated by the central communion table , which is decorated with Christian symbols. It is flanked by a large wooden cross and the pulpit, which has been raised a few steps . On the back of the church is in exposed concrete executed loft , which is stepped like stairs. The organ rises above it , the prospect of which takes up the triangular shape of the church interior.
organ
In 1961 the organ of the Thomaskirche was built by Orgelbau Kuhn , Männedorf. The instrument originally had 35 sounding registers on three manuals and a pedal . In 1985 the builder company carried out a revision and a conversion, during which various sound adjustments were made. In 1997 Metzler Orgelbau revised the instrument and made technical and tonal changes. The installation of an additional Hautbois 8 'register and the expansion of the triple cymbals in the swell mechanism , the installation of an electronic setter system and the replacement of the electro-pneumatic with an electromagnetic registration took place. In 2006 the organ was revised and the magazine bellows were covered with new leather.
Disposition organ:
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- Normal coupling I / II, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
- Playing aids: two register crescendo, four fixed combinations P, MF, F, FF, electronic typesetting system, storage tongues and mixtures
Appreciation
The Thomaskirche in the estate is unique with the strictly ordered building blocks, the Nordic-looking brick and the far-reaching saddle roofs in the reformed church building of the city of Zurich. The design of the church space as a tent picks up on the self-image of a congregation, which, based on the Exodus from Egypt, sees itself as a people who are on the move with God (similarly implemented by Justus Dahinden in the Church of St. Paulus in Dielsdorf). In addition, the shape of the tent as a triangle refers to the Trinity . The arrangement of the pews as a semicircle around the Lord's Supper table emphasizes the aspect of community, an architectural concept that was often implemented by the Catholic church building that was realized at the same time in the context of the Second Vatican Council . a. in the church of St. Josef in Schlieren.
See also
literature
- Heinrich Schneider: Journey of Discovery: Reformed Church Buildings in Switzerland , Zurich 2000, pp. 318–325.
- Building Construction Department of the City of Zurich: Reformed Churches of the City of Zurich. Special inventory. Zurich 2006.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Building Department of the City of Zurich: Reformed Churches of the City of Zurich. Special inventory. Zurich 2006, p. 100.
- ↑ Information from YouTube. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ Organ directory Switzerland and Liechtenstein, section Thomaskirche in Gut Zürich-Wiedikon. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
Coordinates: 47 ° 22 ′ 14 " N , 8 ° 30 ′ 21" E ; CH1903: 680,605 / 247184