The Chamber Church

Büro Ziyu Zhuang - Qingdao, China - 2021

Key words: Archetype, Auditorium, Cave, Divinity, FaCade, Landscape, Ritual, Sanctuary, Structure

Church exterior - Photography: © Shengliang Su

Acting as a contemporary rendition of a church, the Chamber Church bridges tradition and modernity through spirituality and innovation. Embedded into the landscape, the project celebrates the context’s strong relationship with the natural environment.

Drawing inspiration from the caves of Qingdao, the church’s cavern-like interior provides a sense of security and enclosure, encouraging contemplation and reflection. These spiritual values are enhanced by the vast body of water that surrounds the church, offering visitors a space for deeper reflection. The beautiful mountain-scape is reflected upon the still body of water, acting as a sacred mirror.

The space’s interior promotes transcendental qualities through symmetrical geometry and spatial composition. Further enhancing the space’s spiritual ambience, the gaps between the architecture’s structural elements enable fluctuating dapples of light to penetrate the interior congregation spaces.