The 59 ceiling openings create a playful light filtering effect mimicking the way the sun shines through the clouds on a dim day. Accordingly, the space transforms depending on the time and weather. Rainy days offer an impressive scenery as the rain-flow comes in through the unglazed openings forming water pillars and adding an element of sound to the experience. “Thus the natural changes perceived by the body become the architectural scenery”.

The grand building, which spans at a maximum of 90 meters, required a lot of specific considerations with the structural engineering. One of the things that were taken into account was the change of ceiling height which could reach 30cm due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the iron plate. There are also 83 piles and 54 ground anchors that were set on the huge concrete foundation beam, with the ground sloping at a height difference of 5m. The resulting look of the structure then resembles a rotating suspension bridge. The human scale is also taken into account with ceiling height ranging around 2.2~2.8m, while the iron plate of the roof is 12mm thick, conforming to the dimensions of the furniture. Ribs are installed as compression rings within 3 meters of the roof iron plate’s outer circumference in order to reduce the burden of tension exerted on the walls. The latter are 250mm thick, standard for regular building constructions.

Regarding the material use, the ground is covered with water permeable asphalt, which is treated with high pressure cleaning to completely remove the oil before painting. The rainwater can then be instantly absorbed when it infiltrates and flows through the plaza building, keeping the room dry so that it would not feel unpleasant if users were to sit.

A deep connection between people and the built nature is encouraged through the plaza. Sitting on the floor is suggested though the design to maintain a direct link between the users and the architecturally developed environment. The ground becomes a comfortable hill-like slope, like a huge bed, allowing the body and environment to become merged into one scenery. When experienced all together, the slope, light, raindrop sounds and the built horizon make an emblematic place on campus. A space that offers a raw natural comfort by guiding through specific curated experiences that is “outside-ness”.

Text provided by the architect.

Direct sunlight was inappropriate for the time zone of service, but considering that direct sunlight was appropriate for the time zone except for service, this construction was designed to create a space of skylight during the time zone for service (10:30-12:00 in Sunday morning) and direct sunlight during other time zones. So, light was simulated at intervals of 30 minutes on the representative days in 12 months and manipulated according to the time zones. As a result, the time zone for service comes to create a space under a soft skylight throughout year. If service comes close to finishing time, direct sunlight begins to draw a ray of light on the wall surface. Dynamic alterations take place that direct sunlight changes to the state of one line in the afternoon and further takes another form to pour down like shower at around three o’clock.

Uneven longitudinal ribs were carved at random rhythm to the exposed RC concrete wall of the chapel, and dark gray acoustic boards were placed between the ribs. Conflicting requirement arrived at a solution through striking a balance, by making it easy to hear priests’ preach and Bible Readings with concave acoustic boards, and the sound of ecclesiastical music such as hymns with RC convex surfaces. Flutter echo reduces by random rib pitches. Contrast of dark gray concave surfaces against light stands out a light gray brightness of direct sunlight shooting the convex surfaces. Based on the idea that modern church construction has to provide a space to enable the Bible Readings, it came up to mind that the state of direct sunlight shooting through a dark space became a reality in a bright, not dark space.

Under the sky of Shonan, we participate in a service, read and hear the words of the Bible and have the time for pray in a space under dynamic direct sun light in the afternoon. Direct moonlight shoots through a pitch-dark chapel at night of the full moon. Time and space like this harmonizes with the regional nature and scenery and hopefully people come to love the construction.

Reverenced Furuya picked up 5KG sand by hand in the premises of the previous church and a terracotta cross was made being burned, mixed with the sand. This is because that I wanted to interweave the 50 years’ history of Shonan Christianity association and the congregation’s desires in it.

Slits were installed on the outside wall at the lowest position of circular arc to make it open rainwater pipes. As a result, it could be enjoyable to see rain flow in the gutters and leaves don’t block the gutters in spite of abundance of pine leaves.

Space where direct sunlight reveals various expressions according to times is suitable for one person’s or several people’s prayer. In the afternoon after prayer, it becomes a space for prayer by the small number of people and direct sunlight changes the number of the ray from one to two or three and its angle by the minute.

The words of the Bible are read, and heard in service. It is inappropriate that the Bible and people are exposed to sunlight during service. Skylight is appropriate for service. The space is secured for skylight during service from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Structural design was based on box frame type reinforced concrete construction with sufficient amount of wall 300mm thick in a longitudinal direction and thin steel moment frame on the short side direction. Curved slabs in the curvature for one side of 250mm in thickness that composes the roofs functions as beams using the curvature of the slab, and resists the horizontal force as part of steel moment frame. Void slabs were adopted for curved slabs, used to efficiently span them and the wall on the short side direction was given complete structural slits so that it might be relieved from the burden of a horizontal force.

Text description provided by the architects.