U15 Novello Eligio
Neue Orgel für die Kirche St. Vincent
best architects 11
interior work
Place
Montreux | Schweiz
Studio
Photos
Francois Bertin | Grandvaux
Description
The old organ was situated on a gallery above the entrance to the nave. Its size reduced the interior space and blocked the view of the choir. The design of the new organ is a group effort by the organist, organ builder and architect. The first two opted for the organ to be an instrument in the style of the north of France, composed of 23 registers. The second developed a contemporary shape for the instrument that allows the nave to regain its original spaciousness. In a symbolic gesture, the gallery becomes an offering hand extended towards the choir – metaphor for the liturgical music – bringing God’s message to people. The collaborative product, executed in bare oak, which matches the tuff stone of the church’s structure, is a homogeneous tribute to the harmony and elegant austerity of the Protestant building. The integrative object avoids the usual dichotomy between object and content, instrument and structure, tradition and modernity.