Marekerk in Leiden, Netherlands

Marekerk in Leiden, Netherlands

The Marekerk in Leiden is an exceptionally interesting study in how values can impact design when it comes to functional buildings, like churches. This is one of several Lutheran churches built in this style in the Netherlands, where Protestantism crescendoed in popularity from the Reformation onward. The Marekerk is a "round" church, an architectural style which diverges substantially from the traditional European church template, with a cruciform ground plan (that is, a long nave with a transept crossing through, meaning the church is shaped like a cross). This sort of symbolic architecture is given up in the round church in favor of practicality. The structure becomes octagonal, with the pulpit and altar in one corner and thus much closer to the congregation at large than it would be with a long, rectangular nave. In addition, there's little ornamentation in this church, complying with the Protestant aversion to religious iconography (Rehn Wolfman). The building is still impressive, though, emphasizing the primacy of religion above all else; it was the tallest building in the Leiden skyline for a long while, and is thus visible from far away with its attractive dome and clocktower. It's also situated on the convergence of two canals, overlooking the water and allowing for easy access.

Though this church was built much later than the events of the Protestant Reformation, it is an early example of a church built as a Lutheran church (rather than adapted from an older Catholic church into a Protestant one) with the expectation of a large congregation. Both of these factors influenced the design (De Marekerk). Protestant services were very different from Catholic ones; while most Catholic services were still performed in Latin, Protestant worship was almost always in the vernacular, the goal of which being that the congregation could understand everything that was being said. It was important, then, that they could hear it. This is the main reason for the round church's shape: with the congregation situated around the priest and the altar, almost like an amphitheater, it would be much easier for a large number of people to hear and engage with the scripture readings and the homily. As a city church, the Marekerk also had to find an effective way to make sure that a large congregation could be accommodated without jeopardizing their proximity to (and potential understanding of) the service. While the circular space helped with this, it also provided for favorable acoustics, allowing the sound of the priest's voice to travel farther and more evenly than it would in the odd corridors of a traditional cruciform church. Leiden's Marekerk is thus a very interesting study in the way targeted design achieves ideal functionality.

Architect: Arent van 's-Gravesande
Engraving: Frederik de Wit

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atlas_de_Wit_1698-pl017b-Leiden_-_Marekerk.jpg

"De Marekerk (The Marekerk)." Marekerk. Accessed September 24, 2018. http://www.marekerk.nl/gebouw/de-marekerk/

Rehn Wolfman, Ursula. "Martin Luther and the Impact of the Reformation on Art, Architecture, and Music" last modified November 12, 2017. http://www.interlude.hk/front/martin-luther-impact-reformation-architecture-art-music/

Work began in 1639 and it was completed in 1649.
Engraving: around 1698

Maddie Gartland

Public Domain; free re-use