Raum ist Sehnsucht. The aspect of mysticism in the ecclesiastical architecture of Dominikus Böhm (1880-1955)

Dominikus Böhm was one of the most outstanding and influential German architects of the 20th century. He held a teaching position both from 1926 to 1934 and after the Second World War at the Kölner Werkschule for arts and crafts. At the centre of his activities was ecclesiastical architecture. From 1919 onwards, Böhm developed ideas for ecclesiastical architecture that were completely independent of historical stylistic models. His concept of architectural space was closely associated with the Catholic Reform Movement and its aim was to include the members of the congregation in the liturgical ritual and to bring them closer to the altar. His churches in Offenbach (1919) and Dettingen (1922) are among the first examples of modern ecclesiastical architecture in Germany. Their revolutionary design is based on cubic elements. Böhm’s use of modern building materials, above all concrete, was both remarkable and seminal and enabled him to realise the spacious cantilever arches and moulded shapes that were at the centre of his formal canon. For Böhm, the interior of a church was as important as the exterior and its design, characterised by subtle lighting and “mythical” monumentality, was designed to turn the sacred ceremony into a sensual experience.