The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church stands in Haanrade, part of Kerkrade. It was built in 1931 and 1932 to a design by Caspar and Joseph Franssen of Roermond.
The church has an elongated main space with side aisles, a transept and a rounded chancel. The tower stands to one side. That gives the exterior a different profile from a church arranged around a single tall central tower.
The materials include Kunrade stone, marlstone and bluestone. They create differences in colour and surface. Natural stone in particular changes with the light: a wall can look fairly uniform from a distance and reveal many subtle colours close up.
The space behind the façade
Inside, columns divide the nave from the side aisles. A wooden coffered ceiling, marble and stained glass each give the space structure in their own way. Jean Thoolen’s Stations of the Cross date from the 1930s.
You do not have to photograph every element separately to show something of the whole. An overview explains the layout; a detail can reveal the materials and shapes that recur within it. A series has room for both.
Photographing churches also highlights the difference between looking and taking a picture. Our eyes adapt easily to a dark interior. In a photograph, the windows may already be far too bright. Preserving the atmosphere therefore takes more than simply making everything bright enough.
These photographs show the church during my visit. They record a building with a recognisable place in Haanrade, with attention to its architecture and the way daylight reveals the space.
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