New church Maassluis – an architectural tour de force

The new church was built on the initiative of the parish of Saints Andrew, Peter and Paul, which was formed from two separate parishes. The site chosen for the building was the Groene Driehoek, an area surrounded by flats and wedged between a dike and several roads. The high-profile church, which came into being in close consultation with the parish, is built of ‘canvas’ stretched over a steel structure.

In the first place the church had to be a building of its time and not have that bungalow feel of so many of the churches built in the nineteen-sixties. It also had to be a compact and energy-efficient building. Because it was going to be built on a highly visible site it had to look like a work of art. We designed a ‘roof of leaves’ using the sort of high-grade membrane technology you see in awnings and pavilions. The membranes cover the steel skeleton. For a permanent structure this is highly innovative.’



The main thing was the perception of a sacred space. From inside, the church had to give a sacred and holy impression. The result is a ‘breathing and articulated space’ made up of curved, boundless surfaces separated by windows of single colours. Unlike many traditional churches, in the church in Maassluis the congregation sit in an elliptical arrangement facing one another. When you enter the church through the forecourt you come into a reception area that leads through double doors to the inviting devotional areas.

Mari Baauw
T +31 (0)10 4433 609
E Mari Baauw