Czech City Wants to Build a Historic 3D-Printed Church

For centuries, churches were built across Europe as an expression of devotion to God. Even today, these houses of worship remain at the heart of many towns and offer insight into history through their architecture and interior design. Building a church, however, was by no means a simple task. Construction often took several decades and came at great cost. Although modern technology could enable faster and safer construction, very few churches are being built today. This makes it all the more remarkable that a new church project has been launched in Liberec, Czech Republic. But this new church will not be built traditionally; rather, it will be 3D-printed! So how did the idea of a 3D-printed church come about?
Liberec was not always without a church. The original Church of Christ in Reichenberg (now Liberec) was built in 1864 in the Christianstadt district. However, during the Communist era in 1976, it was demolished. Prior to that, it had been severely damaged by a fire and was eventually destroyed through controlled demolition. Now, a new church is set to be built at Českých bratří, the Square of the Bohemian Brethren.

An informational sign indicates where the original church stood until 1976. (Credit: David Pluhař)