HSF System is building the world’s first 3D-printed church in Neratovice

Construction of the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Cardinal Josef Beran Community Center in Neratovice is entering its next phase. Concrete 3D printing technology will be used on an unprecedented scale in the construction of the main nave, the tower, and the rectory. The general contractor for the project is the international construction group HSF System, and its subsidiary, Coral Construction Technologies, is collaborating on the technological solution.

Currently, the church’s first underground level has been completed, including the foundation structures and part of the tower’s structure. The ceiling above this level and the foundation structure of the future rectory are also complete. Construction of the church’s nave will now begin above ground, with both its exterior and interior shells to be created using 3D concrete printing.

Zdeněk Fránek’s architectural design features organic shapes, arched ovals, and curved lines. It is precisely digitally controlled 3D printing that will make it possible to realize these unusual elements without having to simplify the building’s original design. Before construction began, a 1:1-scale test model of the curved walls was therefore created directly on the construction site to verify the stability and feasibility of the proposed structural system.

Hundreds of Original Structural Elements

The structure of the main nave will consist of approximately 870 precision-manufactured components. These will be a set of unique components created for specific positions within the building that are critical to maintaining the designed shape. The architectural design incorporates curved walls; therefore, the production of individual components and their gradual assembly require absolute precision.

These elements will serve as formwork and permanent formwork; they will then be connected with reinforcement and supplemented with reinforced concrete ribs and ring beams. The space between the outer and inner shells will then be filled with thermal insulation. The structure of the printed components will influence both the final appearance and the acoustics of the interior.

Selected components of the main nave will be produced off-site and subsequently installed into the structure. In contrast, the rectory structure will be printed directly on-site using a construction robot. A publicly accessible climbing wall is to be built on the church tower; its individual sections will therefore be filled with concrete to ensure they are sufficiently strong to anchor the climbing elements.

More Than Just a Place of Worship

The new complex will serve as more than just a church. It will also include clubrooms, classrooms, a gallery, exhibition spaces, a café, and a multipurpose community hall. The facility is intended to host cultural and social events, concerts, lectures, educational programs, and recreational activities for the public.

The project’s investor is the Neratovice Community Center Foundation, established by the Archdiocese of Prague. According to the current schedule, the first phase—involving the structural work on the main part of the church—is set to be completed in mid-2027. The full opening of the church and community center is planned for the end of 2028.