Let there be light

Stephanuskirche in the Neuhausen-Nymphenburg district of Munich is an Evangelican-Lutheran church community. The church was built between 1936 and 1938 in the new-Roman round-arch style. The building was designed by architect German Bestelmeyer, a well-known adversary of the modernist avant-garde style of the early twentieth century. A typical hallmark of new-Roman architecture is that it does not adhere to the Roman design language of the Middle Ages. And the same was true of Bestelmeyer: The huge nine-metre-wide tower integrated into the north side of the church is more gothic in appearance. The 26-metre hip roof reaches the same lofty heights as the tower, which has a pointed gable on top. The eaves height of the building is around nine metres, or just a third of the overall height.

Another feature that is unusual for a church is the square shape of the interior, which is separated from the high roof by a wood-clad flat ceiling. At around seven metres wide, the altar room is less than half the width of the main space. Inside the Stephanuskirche, unadorned white walls create a majestic and stylish look. Simple windows let in natural light.

The font, pulpit and altar are carved in marble from Ruhpolding. The font is closed with a spruce wood lid. The painting on the cover is split into three sections, and incorporates an illustration of the twelve apostles. The font is crowned with the all-seeing eye of God and a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. At the heart of the Stephanuskirche is the organ, whose sound reverberates proudly around the chapel during services and concerts.

As part of a renovation and modernisation project, system integrator Casaio from Würzburg installed a KNX system with Gira HomeServer. Casaio also developed a control concept for the lighting in the building. The church is fitted with over 60 spotlights allocated to eight different groups; these lights can also be illuminated during services. Thanks to mobile iPad controls, the minister can move around freely and activate the required light scenes even when preaching.