St John the Baptist Church

Abstract

Situated on the site of an earlier sawmill, resting on twelve wall slabs on rocky terrain on both sides of the River Reichenbach and built of in situ, lightweight and fair-faced concrete, the church stands in a Black Forest valley running west to east. The flat roof, with the truncated cone of the lead-clad skylight in the middle, stands out from the steep slopes. The block-like structure, more or less square in plan, appears closed towards the top and more open at the bottom. The bell tower projects on the south side, its plan section in the form of a “U”. The concrete of its exterior, which bears traces of the vertical saw-cut formwork, contrasts with the smooth surface of the four large walls of the church.