
Church, Karsamaki, Finland, 2004. By Lassila Hirvilammi Architects, from Closer to God, Copyright Gestalten 2010. (Click image to enlarge.)
What distinguishes these buildings from secular ones is that they reach so directly for beauty, trying to shape an extraordinary physical experience. This is true across religious boundaries: a synagogue in Dresden, a chapel in Mexico, and a prayer pavilion in Sudan are all striving for the sublime. While moving though the book it’s hard to discern what religion each building serves, or to care about it for very long.
Closer to God Religious Architecture and Sacred Spaces (Gestalten)