Seashore Chapel, Beidaihe
Vector Architects- Typologies Place of worship Religious / Memorial
- Date 2014 - 2015
- City Beidaihe (Qinhuangdao)
- Country China
- Photographer Chen Hao CreatART Images
The image that inspires the project is that of an old boat adrift in the ocean for years. With time, the ocean recedes and leaves an empty structure behind, still lying on the beach. Starting from this poetic image, the project focuses on both the interior and the exterior. The interior is a covered outdoor space that naturally becomes a resting place for people on the beach, also connecting spiritual life and everyday life. When the tide rises, this space is submerged in water. At that moment, the imagery of the drifting boat emerges from the chapel.
The atmosphere on the upper floor is intensely divine and spiritual. The spatial experience begins on the 30-meter-long path leading to the chapel.
As people approach, they can form a gradual image of the building: first, moving along the narrow path that ends in a grand staircase, behind which the volume of the building emerges, floating over the sand; afterwards, walking up the stairs, with a glimpse of ocean in distance, going through the door and reaching the interior; and finally, entering the space of the chapel itself, with a large window that opens up to the ocean view. The relationship between space and the ocean feels closer due to the elevated position.
Obra Work
Capilla en la costa Seashore Chapel
Cliente Client
Beijing Rocfly Investment Group
Arquitectos Architects
Vector Architects / Gong Dong (socio partner); Dongping Sun (director de proyecto project architect); Yi Chi Wang, Zhiyong Liu, Yifan Zhang (equipo team); Dongping Sun (dirección de obra site architect)
Colaboradores Collaborators
Beijing Yanhuang International Architecture & Engineering Co. Ltd (estructura e instalaciones structure and MEP); Lixin Ji, Zhongyu Liu (estructura structure)
Superficie Built Area
270 m²
Fotos Photos
Chen Hao, CreatAR Images; Peter Dixie