SINGAPORE GETS NEW LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE
Architects:- Van Sitteren and Partners.
new Lutheran Church in Duke's Road. Singapore, was recently completed. Its air of spaciousness and generous propor. tion, and the rich texture of the natural brick finish, belie the build- ing's economy.
In spite of the fact that the site required heavy bakau piling, and had to be filled to a depth of seven feet, it was nevertheless possible, by a careful use of simple materials and an economical structural form, to keep the total cost, including furni- ture and sitework, below M$50. 000.00 while still retaining the gen- erously-proportioned sanctuary and high ceiling considered necessary to preserve the traditional character and atmosphere of the Christian church.
The main roof is of green concrete tiles, left exposed on the underside, with the roofing timbers stained dark brown with a preservative oil.
Triangular brick piers take the thrust of the main rafters, thus
eliminating cross-ties or trussing, and producing a cross sectional shape of an equilateral triangle.
Side walls are almost entirely of pre-cast concrete louvres, giving good ventilation and sun protection.
Lighting is provided by the tall windows of tinted glass louvres above the main entrance and at the side of the sanctuary. The latter are designed to direct the light onto the altar without subjecting the congregation to glare.
The altar, pulpit, lectern and pews were specially designed in polished teak and meranti,
The church will seat up to 132
persons.
INDONESIAN WINS DESIGN PRIZE A young Indonesian Colombo Plan student at the University of Melbourne has won a prize of £A50 and received a cita- tion for the design of a mosque for Bandung, which he submitted as a University thesis.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER - VOLUME 15. NUMBER 3
The student, Mr. Harry Suhardi- man, of Situbondo, has passed all his examinations and has recently been gaining practical experience in architecture to complete his course.
The Dean of the Faculty of Archi- tecture. Professor Brian Lewis, in presenting the prize, said that Mr. Suhardiman's design was an in- teresting combination of traditional building with modern construction. methods and materials. It could introduce new features to Indonesian religious architecture.
Mr. Suhardiman said that his proposed mosque would be built of shell concrete similar to that being used for the Sydney Opera House. It would cater for a congregation of about 3,500 people and would have provision for ultra modern ameni- ties. He believed that modern func- tional buildings using advanced techniques and materials could be designed without losing the basic characteristics of traditional Indo- nesian architecture.
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