“Motorway service areas are places with an unmistakably direct message. Huge signs point to what goes on here: filling-up, eating, sleeping and maybe also, for a bit of distraction, a visit to a gaming mall. They are little cities, but without the subtle layers – no spaces for quiet contemplation or prayer, no beautiful spaces. © Helen Schiffer(Prof. Michael Schumacher, architect) The plan of the new motorway church consists of a square nave (church) with two corner towers and an access bridge from the southwest. All the outer walls are formed in timber-framed construction, with laminated timber elements used for the roof structure and the towers. © Helen SchifferThe entire façade of the church and the connecting bridge was sprayed with white polyurethane damp-proofing material. This protects the outer surfaces of the wood from both the ingress of damp and wear and tear, and gives the church a homogenous appearance. It all started with a two-dimensional plan, and from there it developed into a highly complex three-dimensional structure.Using parametric design techniques based on complex computer programs (Rhino, Grasshopper), schneider+schumacher’sParametrik GmbH & Co.KG team designed a finely detailed wooden ribbed structure that optimised both the material and the construction down to the last detail. Diagram 1Once inside the vaulted entrance, the inner dome opens up to the altar. This area is naturally illuminated only via the church tower above. Within the predominantly square ground plan, semi-circular areas created by the inner dome at the edges allow the areas that lie outside the visitor’s line of vision to be used as a sacristy and as supplementary spaces e.g. for chair storage. All relevant decisions regarding the interior furnishings of the church have been developed in close collaboration with the client. They consist of the same material as the timber inner dome. Arranged in this manner, seating, lectern, kneelers and the candlestick form a conceptional unit. Solemnly in the presbytery, podium, altar and the backlit cross are painted in a pure white to reflect sunlight and therewith seem dematerialised. The inner dome consists of 66 vertical and horizontal semi-circular timber structural ribs,made up of 650 individual parts. The timber ribs are slotted into each other and secured in the slits cut into the panels, so the structure has not only rigidity but is also self-supporting. Section BBThe floor needs anchoring with steel angles only at intermittent intervals The CAD program was developed beyond its usual planning function into a 3D-printer software program The program was used to transform the dimension data first calculated for the inner dome to provide a cutting pattern for all the dome parts Taking account of standard dimensions of OSB boards the 650 parts of the structural ribs were positioned so as to minimise wastage You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email based on the winning design proposal by schneider+schumacher from a competition in 2009 the ‘autobahn chapel siegerland’ provides a place for travelers to stop for worship on a highway near wilnsdorf the structure complements and contrasts the other functions comprised in the adjacent roadside stop (gas fill up creating an opportunity for quiet contemplation and prayer rather than relying on bold signage to announce itself to oncoming vehicles the church takes a visually distinctive form to communicate its presence the church takes an irregular and visually distinctive form to communicate its presencephoto © helen schiffer the chapel’s form is a three-dimensional translation of a typical church pictogram with two pointed steeples the building appears to grow out of the hillside via its bridged walkway leading to a covered entrance a domed ceiling is created by a gridshell of curving wood profiles daylight from spires’ skylights illuminate the space through the vaulted structure through the open domed ceilingphoto © helen schiffer the vaulted gridshell structure is constructed of engineered lumber profilesphotos © helen schiffer the new highway church is composed with a square nave and an access bridge at the southwest corner the exterior has a monolith white materiality the internal space is shaped by a vaulted ceiling which is constructed of 66 engineered lumber (oriented strand board) profiles the timber ribs are slotted into one another to create a rigid and self supporting structure the design team utilized parametric computer programs to generate the geometries and produce construction documentation a short film provides views of the church as well as a description (in german) of the project by the architectvideo courtesy of ERCO a bridge walkway approaches the covered entrancephoto by dirk vogel (left): the chapel volume is elevated above the landscape(right): the gridshell structure frames the alterphotos © helen schiffer architect michael schumacher describes the conceptual basis as follows: ‘motorway service areas are places with an unmistakably direct message huge signs point to what goes on here: filling-up but without the subtle layers – no spaces for quiet contemplation or prayer the small motorway church offers an opportunity to fulfil these fundamental needs and provides these in a place where they are arguably most lacking for a building to make an impact in such surroundings it needs to talk the same unmistakably direct language (at least on the exterior) whether approached from afar from the dortmund direction the church represents a built version of the motorway church signage it still signals in an immediate and direct way: ‘i am a church!’ ‘ the church provides a quiet space for contemplation which is contrary to other roadside servicesphoto © helen schiffer germanyprocurement documentation: competition 03/2009construction dates: 03/2011 – 05/2013site area: approx 14 x 14 m + access bridgeclient: autobahnkirchenverein siegerland e.V frau ute pohlarchitecture: schneider+schumacher planungsgesellschaft mbHproject architect: michael schumacherproject manager: hans eschmannconstruction manager: kerstin högelteam: michael schumacher jana heidackerstructural engineers: b+g ingenieure bollinger und grohmann gmbHbuilding services: rpb ingenieure gmbHsurveyor: dipl.-ing seelbachstructural work (reinforced concrete): w hundhausen bauunternehmung gmbHstructural work (wood construction): holzbau amann gmbHwindows: metallbau weinmannfaçade surface coating: elacoat gmbHsteel-staircase: ernst stahl- u hartmut thielmann baugeschäftinterior wooden construction (plus furniture): schreinerei hein gmbHlighting: ERCO gmbHventilation / floor heating: robin sohn gmbHelectrical work: michael pitthan gmbHdoors: metallbau weinmann AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style The nearby motorway section had to be closed off for safety reasons between ten o'clock in the morning and five in the afternoon A blast zone was also set up to secure a 300-metre radius around the bridge Curious onlookers were able to observe the detonation from far away or from the safety of their homes thanks to a live stream The gradual renovation of motorway bridges in the area is a large-scale project 15 bridges are currently being built or scheduled to go up before the end of the year Jana Meiswinkel (Wilnsdorf/ Germany) and Ernst Berg (Prüm/ Germany) finished the eighth VLN race into ninth position with their Renault Clio „Jacques“ Jana Meiswinkel managed to join the „U-10-Club“ and Jacques himself remains in the top 5 of the Renault Sport Speed Trophy The Indian summer in the Eifel region provided somehow untypical weather at the Nürburgring Nordschleife when the Team ATM-Motorsport for the first time in the current season finished on the podium at the 6h race in other words much wetter and very unsettled the conditions were perfect at the eighth round and in the timed practice session already Ernst Berg managed to use these conditions perfectly With a time of just below ten minutes for the 24.369 kilometres long track was within reach of the top 10 in the Clio class which again figured the high number of 26 cars Berg started the race and got quickly involved in some close fights which is typical for the Clio Cup class This was not without consequences: “In the first corner already a competitor hit my rear wheel and my steering wheel adjusted to almost three o’clock But it was not a problem to continue racing” After the first half of the race distance and without any further problem Jana Meiswinkel took over the steering wheel and was instructed to increase her pace a little about one hour before the race end as their ninth position was endangered by a competitor behind It was not necessary to ask the 24 years old race driver from the region of Siegen/ Germany twice and despite the damaged car she completed their fastest lap times in the race After one lap at 10:00.854 minutes and two other times around 10:01 minutes she nevertheless asked herself: “Why always me?” as the first VLN lap time of less than ten minutes was within reach The tension was released in lap 23 with the time of 9:58.870! “I was shouting with joy in the car as finally I also managed to set a time of below ten minutes” “Jana has really shown a brilliant performance” confirmed Ernst Berg who was also happy that they were able to keep their ninth place Team manager Werner Meiswinkel added: “That was exactly according to schedule we absolutely wanted to finish in eighth to tenth place my compliments!” And the damaged rear suspension will not cause a headache either: “The spare parts are already on stand-by said technical director Ferdinand Baratella The team will thus be able to continue fighting to defend their current fifth place in the Renault Sport Speed Trophy at the ninth round This penultimate race of the season will take place on 15th October The ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie kicks off its 49th season next weekend with the 70th ADAC Westfalenfahrt - and brings with it an exciting new feature: For the first time Promoting young talent and a breath of fresh air in the paddock of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie The sensational motorhomes from MORELO have been a real eye-catcher in the paddock of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie for years The ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie has always been organized by the VLN (Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring) This abbreviation stands for the nine automobile sports clubs that organize the races and are represented in the VLN Sport GmbH & Co KG takes care of marketing and event management.