Location: Gävle
Type: Restoration and renovation of a church
Year: 2022 – ongoing
Client: Gävle Parish through KFS, the Church's Property Cooperation

The construction period of the church, beginning in the 1630s and completed in the mid-1650s, coincides with the most expansive period in Sweden's history – the era of great power. In 1590, Gävle's harbour was the second largest in the country, after Stockholm, and during the first decades of the 17th century, Gävle remained one of the largest trading cities in Sweden. It is likely that master mason number 24, Hans Ferster from Stockholm, with his apprentice Anders Knutsson "Mäster Anders," was ultimately responsible for the construction. He worked in a transitional period between the Gothic and Renaissance styles, with advanced vaulting as his hallmark. He was also responsible for the contemporary "sister churches," Kristine Church in Falun (1642–60) and Jacob's Church in Stockholm (1634–43), all of which exhibit striking similarities. The fundamental idea was that the churches would be halls for the preaching of God's word. Preaching would take place in the local language and without the misleading rituals and rules of Catholicism. As a result, the pulpit became central, both as a place for the priest and as part of the church space. It was also during the early 1600s that uniformly white walls and vaults became a defining characteristic, often in combination with large windows. The intention was for churchgoers to both hear and see what was being preached. Consequently, the contemporary church interiors formed a rather modest backdrop to what was at the center: the altar and the pulpit.

A distinctive feature of the Holy Trinity Church is the persistent problem of foundations. This issue runs like a red thread through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and was finally resolved in 1936 using the advanced Dahrén method, which used steel and concrete to stabilize the foundations. All the measures taken over 300 years to curb and ultimately halt the foundation issues seem to have been a more significant reason for changes in the church interior than shifting architectural ideals. The Holy Trinity Church has several prominent elements of great significance for the experience of the church interior: the vaults, the pillars, the altarpiece, the pulpit, and the organ gallery with the organ.

A church has stood on this site since the city's inception. The layout of the street between the church and the river has remained largely the same since that time. The church's position in the cityand the fact that it is an active, functioning church creates a continuity that stretches back parallel to the city's history. The parish's activities also create a continuity on the site that is inseparable from the building.

Until recently, Gävle Parish owned several properties in close proximity to the Holy Trinity Church. With the separation of the Swedish Church from the state, the number of members has significantly decreased in a clear trend that is expected to continue. The church cannot retain all its premises and at the same time bear the personnel costs necessary to fulfill its religious mission.

The background and purpose of the restoration and renovation project are for the church building to support the parish's efforts to function better as a church and to continue the continuity that this church building creates through its history and physical and social presence in the heart of the city. The social conditions of the site, due to its central location in the city, require some staffing and supervision, and in some cases, also security personnel. The parish's goal is to actively operate in the socially vulnerable environment as a "city church." In order for the church to have generous opening hours, staff are required to work in the church. Society has largely taken over the roles the church had in terms of healthcare, welfare, education, etc. But there are situations where society is unable to take care of the vulnerable. The church can provide a physical place where everyone is welcome, an institution that has no equivalent in society, except for voluntary organizations that often work in a religious context or background. The presence of this place in the city and in society creates a social value for the urban landscape that cannot be disconnected from the church building.

The objective involves a number of practical commitments. The church needs to provide an energy-efficient and comfortable indoor climate in terms of heating and air quality as far as possible for a 17th-century church. It should be possible to work in the church for the number of people required for the building to function as a church. A number of smaller and larger separate rooms need to be added to accommodate various social activities simultaneously. It needs to be accessible to all individuals regardless of their abilities or physical limitations. It should be possible to hear what is being said even if one has a hearing impairment. It should be possible to use the restroom even if one is in a wheelchair.

A church's role is also to carry its material cultural and historical value. A church is often part of a history of continuous adaptations to the demands and changes of the time. Its adaptability is also a prerequisite for its continued use, maintenance, and preservation. One could argue that its adaptability is part of its survival strategy, which comes from the will to preserve. In the case of the Holy Trinity Church, the church interior has looked radically different for much of its history, not in terms of surface finishes, but with galleries that populated most of both the northern and southern aisles. You don’t suspect anything of this when you step into the church today. Awareness of what can be added while still respecting the church's history, both past and future, is part of the dialogue with history is conducted. Proposed additions are made with the knowledge that future generations may have different requirements and expectations on the building.