Built between 1968 and 1969 by sculptor Josef Rikus and architect Heinz Buchmann, the Kirche St. Johannes XXIII in Köln-Sülz is one of the most distinctive examples of brutalist sacred architecture in Germany. The raw concrete exterior — Sichtbeton at its most expressive — rises in an irregular rhythm of interlocking beams and open frames, somewhere between sculpture and structure.
The building serves the Katholische Hochschulgemeinde, the Catholic student community of the University of Cologne. It has been listed as a Kulturdenkmal since 2016.
These photographs were taken from the street and surrounding plaza, documenting the exterior in early spring light.
