St. Anthony's church

St. Anthony's Church (St. Anton) in Wettingen is the Roman Catholic parish church at Antoniusstrasse 12 in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Zurich architect Karl Higi designed it, and it went up between 1952 and 1954. Exposed concrete defines the building, making it a good stop for anyone interested in postwar Swiss modernism.

Why was a second parish founded here?

Talk of a second parish in Wettingen began after the First World War, as workers from Baden's industries swelled the population. By 1932 the western districts, home to roughly 1,300 Catholics, had formed a parish of their own. The church itself followed some twenty years later.

What does the exterior look like?

The building is steep and elongated. A gently pitched gable roof reaches far out over the main facades, carried by two pairs of supports that mark off the narrow side aisles. Large windows with concrete ornament sit in the flanks of the choir and above the main entrance. A slender tower stands apart from the church, on the forecourt.

What is inside?

The interior is a three-aisled hall on slim concrete piers, leading to a taller, airy choir that ends in a flat apse. The gallery juts out from the wall as a cantilevered concrete slab. Six tapestries on the church year hang in the apse, designed by artists including Armin Brugisser, Ferdinand Gehr, Willi Helbling and Hans Stocker. Brugisser also made the Stations of the Cross (1985-1987). The church, the attached St. Anthony chapel and the rectory hold further works bought on the art market, among them a crucifix and a Pietà.

Is it a listed monument?

Yes. In 2007 the church entered the Aargau protected-monument inventory with priority B, meaning regional significance, and the protection covers the whole building. Its design was debated when it opened, and the interior was renovated in 2000. Peter Hoegger describes it in volume 7 of "Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Aargau" (1995).

How to plan a visit

This is a working parish church, so visit outside service times and keep quiet during worship. Allow 15 to 30 minutes. Look at the light through the concrete-ornamented windows and at the tapestries in the apse. Wettingen borders Baden, so you can easily pair the visit with other sights nearby, such as Wettingen's Cistercian abbey.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed St. Anthony's Church in Wettingen?

Karl Higi of Zurich. Construction ran from 1952 to 1954.

Is the church protected?

Yes. Since 2007 it has been in the cantonal monument inventory as a building of regional importance (priority B), with protection for the entire structure.

What is it built from?

The structure and the window ornament are exposed concrete. The roof is gently pitched, and the tower stands separately on the forecourt.

Is the interior richly decorated?

It is austere, but it contains six tapestries in the apse, Armin Brugisser's Stations of the Cross, and a crucifix and Pietà.