Design No. 295 - a Chapel of Fellowship
atelier ying, nyc.
The semi-difficulties that may face a church congregation (which enjoys intimate fellowship) to gather together in a small space is reconsidered in this design modeled playfully after a single component of a camera, its bellows.
A central courtyard divides the chapel and lets in fresh circulation of air and light. The purpose of the courtyard also provides access to the outside both for egress as well as merging of the private with the public.
The auditorium narrows down to a very tiny space (recalling the lens opening of a bellows camera). However the design uses this narrowing strategy to enable the following:
1. The congregants feel the intimacy of their space, as one which is filled to capacity, going from the main door towards the altar, a typical desirable characteristic for a fellowship. It also is easy to fill with a smaller number of people. An expansion of the space, recalling very indirectly the composing huts of Gustav Mahler is also achieved.
2. The celebrant for the chapel services also feels relaxed but specifically due to the fact that his words can easily reach all the way to the back of the group. Thereby he feels intimately connected all the way to the very last row of the chapel. There is no inherent feeling of loss to the celebrant while he speaks.
The central courtyard is flanked perpendicularly by stairways that go to the basement where communal meals take place. A small low garden looms out and over a portion of the staircase, partially revealing the area below and connecting the two floors.
Other details as the light slits in the concrete roof, the position of the door behind the altar, the overhang at the main front door which is folds back & down, mimicking a large barn and the courtyard shape all support the main design details.
Note: the altar is not shown in the design drawing in order to simplify the enclosure to a trapezoidal space with matching doors at both ends. The only materials for the enclosure our concrete and light wood for the two doors. The courtyard adds stainless steel and glass.
Design, concepts, text and drawing are copyright 2016 by David Lo.
Design No. 295 - a Chapel of Fellowship
atelier ying, nyc.
The semi-difficulties that may face a church congregation (which enjoys intimate fellowship) to gather together in a small space is reconsidered in this design modeled playfully after a single component of a camera, its bellows.
A central courtyard divides the chapel and lets in fresh circulation of air and light. The purpose of the courtyard also provides access to the outside both for egress as well as merging of the private with the public.
The auditorium narrows down to a very tiny space (recalling the lens opening of a bellows camera). However the design uses this narrowing strategy to enable the following:
1. The congregants feel the intimacy of their space, as one which is filled to capacity, going from the main door towards the altar, a typical desirable characteristic for a fellowship. It also is easy to fill with a smaller number of people. An expansion of the space, recalling very indirectly the composing huts of Gustav Mahler is also achieved.
2. The celebrant for the chapel services also feels relaxed but specifically due to the fact that his words can easily reach all the way to the back of the group. Thereby he feels intimately connected all the way to the very last row of the chapel. There is no inherent feeling of loss to the celebrant while he speaks.
The central courtyard is flanked perpendicularly by stairways that go to the basement where communal meals take place. A small low garden looms out and over a portion of the staircase, partially revealing the area below and connecting the two floors.
Other details as the light slits in the concrete roof, the position of the door behind the altar, the overhang at the main front door which is folds back & down, mimicking a large barn and the courtyard shape all support the main design details.
Note: the altar is not shown in the design drawing in order to simplify the enclosure to a trapezoidal space with matching doors at both ends. The only materials for the enclosure our concrete and light wood for the two doors. The courtyard adds stainless steel and glass.
Design, concepts, text and drawing are copyright 2016 by David Lo.