I finally saw the interior of Kim Swoo-geun’s Kyungdong Presbyterian Church (see this post).
It’s absolutely awe-inspiring. The photos I took don’t do it justice.
Note: This is the first series shot with my Nikon 40x, which I finally picked up today. Still learning how to use it, though.
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Cool, cool pics.
Too bad it doesn’t look like a church. Looks like something done by Speer for the Nazis.
I gotta say, “awe-inspiring” is absolutely the correct description, inside and out. What it isn’t is “inviting” or “friendly”. It appears to be a very austere, almost sinister structure.
Looks like a hand pointed skyward. Yes, very “Speerish”…
Hey Rob, have you thought about getting a VR (vibration reduction) lens to go with your Nikon 40x? It certainly does make a difference in the lower shutter speeds. About two stops worth.
Wow, that is an amazing interior. It looks like a stage setting for a dramatic play.
I second the VR lens since some digital cameras are capable at operating well in low light conditions but one must not breathe or else there is jiggling.
I’d like to get a VR lens eventually, but they are a bit expensive.
I used a tripod for the outdoor shots above, which seemed to come out OK, but I didn’t have time to set up the tripod for the indoor shots.
The asymmetry and rock texture of the walls, inside and out, gives it almost a demonic feel to it. Not what I would want from a church.
For some reason it brings to mind South Parks hell renditions…
Actually, the use of vertical lines on the outside, and more organic cavernous inner sanctum really reminds of Superman’s fortress of solitude.
Robert, those are absolutely fantastic pictures of a truly amazing structure!
I agree that the inside does have a hint of the demonic and hellish about it, largely due to the red carpet and the color of the cave-like walls. Many churches have cave-like interiors nowadays, and sometimes I like that and sometimes I don’t. In this particular case, I’m very intrigued (one thinks of the catacombs and caves used by the early Christians), but also nonplussed by the fact that the interior looks–like too many churches nowadays–like a theater.
In fact, I believe Kim Swoo-geun’s interior design was inspired by the catacombs.
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[...] firm founded by master architect Kim Swoo-geun (about whom you can read here, here and here). Kim designed the old headquarters, the brick building to the left (completed in 1971), while [...]
[...] Note: As you know, I’m a big fan of Kim Swoo-geun — see here, here and here for photo essays dedicated to his work. Obviously, it saddens me to see any of his work torn down [...]