Hallelujah! Heavenly architecture in the 21st Century

Whatever one's particular faith – or indeed, lack thereof – there's no denying that organized religion has provided the inspiration and budget for the construction of some mighty impressive buildings. Gizmag takes a look at five of the most interesting designs for houses of worship to have recently seen the light.

Though browsing through the historic archives would of course provide many examples of note, we've concentrated on outstanding recent works that have embraced modern design principles and in some cases, sustainable technology. There's no bias on any particular faith, just the design of the buildings themselves, whether concept, work in progress, or a completed build.

Bishop Edward King Chapel

Bishop Edward King Chapel, by Niall McLaughlin Architects was commissioned to serve a small theological college and an order of nuns in rural Oxfordshire, England.

The building's exterior facade features dog-toothed stonework and follows an elliptical form that proved quite a challenge to the stonemasons who labored on its construction. An independent timber structure gives form to the interior and provides seating for up to 120 people, as well as several areas for quiet contemplation.

Proving itself a truly modern chapel, there's some degree of sustainable technology involved in the build, including underfloor heating, natural ventilation, automatically opening windows, and solar shading. The chapel was also built using renewable timber and natural stone.

Church Wünsdorf

The futuristic Confessional Church and Multifunction Hall by GRAFT is an ambitious concept envisioned for the territory around Wünsdorf, Germany, which served as the Russian army's headquarters until the close of the cold war.

GRAFT approached the project with the aim of designing a house of worship which does not exclusively cater to any one faith system, but is instead inclusive. The building's distinctive diamond form derives from three different geometric shapes that fuse together to become one. Inside, a the large building contains a series of hidden mechanical gubbins under the floor which seamlessly transform the space from church to theater at the push of the button.

Alas, the Church Wünsdorf remains just a concept at this point.

Sancaklar Mosque

With nary a minaret nor dome in sight, the Sancaklar Mosque by Emre Arolat Architects doesn't attempt to replicate the architectural style of the historic mosques found within the walls of nearby Istanbul, but rather features a beautifully simple cave-like underground space – making it possibly the world's only underground mosque.

Located on a prairie landscape, the building displays only a simple long canopy from the outside, with access to the mosque proper being gained via a path that runs from the upper courtyard. Inside, the spartan stone decor is illuminated by daylight thanks to slits in the wall.

The stonework looks to be truly outstanding and the building is sure to become another religious landmark of the area once completed.

Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch

Back in February 2011, an earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, resulting in widespread damage and the tragic loss of 185 lives. Among the buildings severely impacted was the Anglican Cathedral, which was subsequently demolished. While funds are collected for a replacement, cardboard tube aficionado Shigeru Ban has constructed a cardboard stand-in using some 98 cardboard tubes.

Of course, the cathedral isn't constructed solely from cardboard, and both shipping containers and timber structural supports feature in the design, however it's a compelling and unique religious structure from the always interesting Shigeru Ban Architects.

Titanium Cathedral of the Northern Lights

The Cathedral of the Northern Lights, in Alta, Norway, is by far the most northerly of our picks, located 500 km (311 miles) within the frigid Arctic Circle – it's also arguably the most impressive looking.

The Cathedral of Northern Lights was designed by schmidt hammer lassen following a competition held to choose a new church for the region. The cathedral measures 1,917 sq m (20,634 sq ft) and can seat 350. Unusually, the exterior is clad in titanium, which is rather costly to work with, but does offer the benefit of producing a striking building that's a genuine landmark for the area.

What do you think?

Naturally, a list of five interesting houses of worship can't claim to be exhaustive, so please let us know in the comments if you have any personal favorites.