St. John the Baptist parish church and chapel of rest, Zwischenwasser

Erected in 1923 as Clemens Holzmeister’s first church building, the plasticity of this structure marked the start of numerous eye-catching architectural styles in the village of Batschuns. A nearby rehearsal facility for the local music association was added by Marte.Marte in 2002, shortly after the extension of the cemetery bordering the church by the same firm. The graveyard features an urn wall and leads down the slope towards the chapel of rest, a solid loam structure.

The subtle geometrical form of the yellow packed loam cubes surrounds a gravel surface featuring a number of broad layers seamlessly compacted into robust formwork using handheld machines. Like a collection of geological deposits, the excavated material was removed directly from the pit, prepared for use and layered on top of concrete foundations. The weathering of the untreated loam ensures an ever-changing appearance. An identically coloured weather-resistant panel made from Trass lime forms the coping, which is up to one metre wide and almost imperceptibly designed to function as a gutter. Concrete supporting elements also play a role in the unique look of the building.

An opening that faces the cemetery cuts asymmetrically into the cube and is reinforced with solid oak. In addition, an imposing door structure more than three metres wide has been integrated directly into the loam wall.

The parish church, the nearby rehearsal facility and the chapel of rest form a small circular walk. Visitors are only able to access the church.

Design: Clemens Holzmeister, 1921-23; Marte.Marte Architekten, 2002

Visitors are only able to access the church.