The Ten Coolest Churches

Image via Complex Original

For centuries, ecclesiastical architecture has produced some of the world's boldest, and best loved, buildings. Regardless of faith, churches become monuments of local pride, often dominating city skylines and standing as a universal symbol of the place they inhabit.

Church architecture has also been a place for innovation. We can thank the church for ushering in the perfection of domes. And, we can also thank progressive congregations for allowing some of the world's most pioneering architects opportunity to push boundaries. Not all these buildings scream "church," however all are outstanding examples of what religion has gifted the built environment.

Check out the Ten Coolest Churches.

10. Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel

Completed in 1991, the Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel is part of The Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, The Grotto, in Portland, Oregon. Architects Thompson Valvoda & Associates and structural engineers KPFF Consulting Engineers were awarded a Grand Award for Engineering Excellence from the American Consulting Engineers Council for the project in 1992

9. Air Force Academy Chapel

Known as the Cadet Chapel, this building on the U.S. Air Force Academy campus is the most popular man-made attraction in Colorado. Completed in 1963, at a cost of $3.5 million, the Chapel's principal designer was Walter A. Netsch Jr. Rising 150 feet, the building is made of aluminum, glass, and steel.

8. Transparent Steel Church

Belgian architects Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh recently completed this gem in the Belgian country side. More visual experience than religious space, the Transparent Steel Church gives an aura of a ruin through manipulation of contemporary materials.

7. Chapel In the Rock

The Chapel In the Rock is Sedona, Arizona's architectural wonder. Designed by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, the building was completed in 1956.

6. Hallgrímskirkja

In Reykjavik, Iceland, Hallgrímskirkja soars above the local landscape. Perhaps the inspiration for Hall of Asgard in Thor, Hallgrímskirkja was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937. The intent was to have a church that resembled Iceland's basalt lava flows.

5. Cologne Cathedral

Built from 1248 to 1880, Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the world. One of the best known architectural sites in Germany, the building boasts a visitation of 20,000 people a day.

4. Las Lajas Cathedral

Located in Columba, the Las Lajas Cathedral was built between 1916 and 1949.  A Gothic revival structure, Las Lajas sits within the canyon of the Gualtara river.

3. Cathedral of Brasilia

Oscar Niemeyer's famed hyperboloid structure opened on May 31, 1970. The architect is an atheist, and because of this it took some years for the space to be consecrated. Regardless, the Cathedral (located in Brasilia, Brazil) is an achievement of both staggering architectural genius and a monument to the Catholic fait.

2. Sea Ranch Chapel

Completed in 1985, San Diego architect James T. Hubbell received the "Special Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship" from the California Council of the American Institute of Architects for his role in the Sea Ranch Chapel. Located just 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean, the Chapel is designed as a non-denominational sanctuary for spiritual renewal.

1.  La Sagrada Familia

Gaudi's most famous building, located in Barcelona, has been under construction for over 100 years. Eventually, it will stand as the largest Cathedral. For now, it is simply the coolest church.