Architechture

Designed by Chen Qi-kuan (the former department head of the Department of Architecture, TungHai University (THU)), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was built by the Episcopal Diocese of Taiwan in 1965. Similar to Chen’s other architectural works such as the THU Luce Memorial Chapel, THU Department of Architecture, THU Department of Music, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Tainan Methodist Kindergarten, Chen adopted an anti-bent thin shell roof structure method, which he preferred and promoted. To support heavy loads, a considerable number of gridwork girders was installed in the THU Luce Memorial Chapel. By contrast, no beams or pillars were used for the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which was entirely supported by its anti-bent thin shell roof design, thus evoking a sense of spaciousness and change as well as depicting visually appealing indoor and outdoor spatial designs.

三民／台灣聖公會 高雄聖保羅堂

高雄聖保羅堂為台灣聖公會於1965年所建立的一座教堂，邀請到當時身為東海建築系系主任的陳其寬先生與沈祖海建築師事務所合作設計，而其建築結構也找來同為東海大學路思義教堂的大功臣之一－結構技師鳳後三先生操刀，所以論脈絡，高雄聖保羅堂可以說是東海大學路思義教堂的姊妹作。

陳其寬先生在此作品中同樣採用他提倡的「反曲薄殼屋頂構造」，不管是路思義教堂、東海大學建築系館、東海大學音樂系館、高雄聖保羅堂、台南衛禮堂幼稚園等，皆可看到陳其寬先生對於該結構的推崇與喜好，但就結構上，或許高雄聖保羅堂才是陳其寬先生追求的薄殼屋頂的極至，路思義教堂為了支撐荷重而採用了大量的格子樑，而高雄聖保羅堂則透過反曲薄殼屋頂自身的形抗達到了無樑無落柱的境界，營造出寬敞且富有變化與視覺效果的室內外空間與建築造型。


文／黃則維、柳青薰
圖／高雄市政府文化局

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