Highway church in Wilnsdorf gleams in new splendour

Church with distinction

The Siegerland motorway church is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, about 100 kilometres east of Cologne, and was opened in May 2013. It offers travellers of all Christian denominations a place of peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the motorway, around the clock. In addition to regular end-of-week services, the highway church also hosts cultural events such as small concerts and meditations. The modern and minimalist design of the church is striking and has won several awards.  The exterior of the church is based on triangular shapes. Two pointed spires reach towards the sky. The entire façade is white. Inside, a unique place for contemplation and prayer has been created, especially with the imposing wooden interior dome.

Protecting the wooden structure

The highway church is a pure wooden structure on a concrete foundation. The exterior façade was clad with OSB panels and coated with a reactive resin. After a few years, however, the coating began to show signs of damage. Leaks developed, leading to swelling and rotting of the timber structure. A quick and permanent solution was needed to ensure the long-term use of the church. This was found by the responsible planning office Franz Ingenieure from Haiger together with the processing company Heinrich Schmid GmbH & Co. KG, Essen-Nord division, in the MC product range. Before the repair of the entire exterior surface could begin, the adhesive bond to the substrate was tested on a sample surface - with success.