3 modern places of worship that will change the way you think about religious space

When you think of religious buildings, you usually envision ornate, Romanesque churches, stately Shinto temples, or something grand like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

But nowadays, places of worship are taking pages from the books of modern architects. Tadao Ando's Church of Light, shown above, integrates the outside world into a place of worship by hewing a cross-shaped window in the walls. And other similarly contemporary religious buildings are winning awards and praise for their design. 

Here are a few remarkable religious spaces that made it to the shortlist of the World Architectural Festival's finalists this year.

SEE ALSO: See inside the 'Bone Church,' the chapel that turned over 40,000 human skeletons into artwork

The Amhult Church sits in the center of a Swedish village by the same name.

Its windows are scattered around the wall, giving it a playful, asymmetrical design that offsets the orderliness present in the rest of the church.

The reception area is lined with stone walls and wood ceilings.