Versöhnungskirche Linz-Dornach

The Versöhnungskirche is an evangelical Lutheran church in Linz’s Dornach-Auhof district. Built between 1996 and 1997, it was the final religious structure designed by architect Roland Rainer. Two brick buildings with flat roofs stand one to two storeys high and are linked by a glass-and-steel passage. A slender tower-like glass-and-steel feature crowns the rectangular church, channeling light down to the altar through a light shaft. Old bricks and new natural materials such as concrete and timber were used in keeping with ecological aims. Inside, steel beams support the flat ceiling and an ornamental mosaic by Jindřich Vydra, completed in 1998, decorates the walls. A single-manual organ with nine stops was installed by Raimar Galter of Giengen from 1998 to 1999. The church’s asymmetrical layout and careful use of light create a calm, contemplative atmosphere. Since 2009 it has been officially recognised as a listed monument. Visitors enter through the glass link that joins the two wings of the complex. The main worship space is simple yet luminous, with the altar set beneath the tower’s light shaft. Outside, the brick facades and flat roofs blend with the surrounding residential area. The building’s modest scale and clean lines invite quiet reflection without drawing attention to itself.