david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig’s church in copenhagen

the church translates the vertical ambition of gothic architecture into an austere expressionist language built entirely from yellow danish brick.

thomai tsimpou February 8, 2026 4 min

grundtvig’s church through the lens of david altrath

Standing in the Bispebjerg district of Copenhagen, Grundtvigs Kirke, one of the most singular works of 20th-century ecclesiastical architecture, is the protagonist of David Altrath’s latest photography series. Designed by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint and completed in 1940, the church translates the vertical ambition of Gothic architecture into an austere expressionist language built entirely from yellow Danish brick. Structure, surface, and ornament collapse into a single architectural system, where material discipline replaces decoration.

The west facade rises as a monumental sequence of stepped gables, a sculptural composition that sets the rhythm for the building as a whole. Inside, this cadence continues through pointed arches and soaring brick vaults, forming an interior that feels both monumental and measured. Light filters gently across the textured masonry, revealing subtle shifts in tone and depth, while repetition and proportion guide movement through the nave. The absence of applied ornament sharpens attention to craftsmanship, scale, and the expressive potential of brick itself.

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 1 — all images by David Altrath

stillness as a spatial condition

Altrath’s work consistently explores how built form, material, and atmosphere interact over time. Here, his lens frames Grundtvig’s Church not as a monumental icon, but as a lived space of stillness, where brick, light, and proportion quietly hold the architecture together.

In this photographic series, Hamburg-based photographer David Altrath approaches Grundtvig’s Church as an architecture of restraint and concentration. His images focus on moments of pause: light grazing a wall, the alignment of arches, the quiet tension between mass and void. Rather than dramatizing the space, the photographs emphasize its calm intensity, allowing the expressionist abstraction of the architecture to coexist with its sacred function.

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 2 — a sculptural composition of yellow brick

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 3 — the stepped gable west facade

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 4 — a closer view reveals the layered brick relief articulating the main entrance

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 5 — the church’s long side elevation unfolds through repeated vertical bays and pointed windows

david-altrath-expressionist-geometry-grundtvigs-church-copenhagen-designboom-large02 — repetition and vertical proportion define the church’s side facade

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 6 — the rear volume presents a compact, faceted mass

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 7 — rows of wooden chairs align beneath soaring arches

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 8 — the central nave culminates in the monumental organ on one side

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 9 — repetitive pointed vaults extend rhythmically along the side aisles

david-altrath-expressionist-geometry-grundtvigs-church-copenhagen-designboom-large01 — geometry and structural logic of the ceiling

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 10 — the nave reads as a continuous field of brick, light, and aligned seating

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 11 — hanging chandeliers punctuate the vertical brick interior

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 12 — an intimate space defined by filtered light

david-altrath-expressionist-geometry-grundtvigs-church-copenhagen-designboom-large03 — the central nave stretches toward the altar

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 13 — the church translates the vertical ambition of Gothic architecture into an austere expressionist language

david altrath frames the expressionist geometry of grundtvig's church in copenhagen - 14 — precision of brickwork and proportion

delicate light fixtures contrast with masonry light enters through tall vertical glazing a model ship hangs beneath the brick vaults the main entrance door is framed by concentric brick arches

project info:

name: Grundtvigs Kirke
photographer: David Altrath | @davidaltrath
location: Copenhagen, Denmark

architect: Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint

completion: 1940