Architecture: Tadao Ando
Project: Church of the Light
Years: 1987 — 1989
Photo: Hiromitsu Morimoto, S. Ken, Smith Huang, Jumbo Adisak, Scott Norsworthy
Geo: Ibaraki, JP
Text: Anastasia Strashnova
The Church of the Light was conceived as an addition to the home of a Protestant priest and the adjacent chapel. The construction budget, formed from parishioner donations, amounted to approximately $ 250,000. This was insufficient for purchasing wooden materials, leading the architect to opt for concrete instead.
The building consists of a roof and six walls, each 38 cm thick, with overall dimensions of 6×18×6 meters. Tadao incorporated only two religious symbols into the church: a small cross on the north facade and a cross cut into the eastern wall. Through this cross, light enters the liturgy hall, bringing the raw concrete to life.
The architect contrasts the warmth and tenderness of sunlight with the coldness of concrete and the simplicity of the interior. The prayer benches are made from construction scaffolding used to erect the walls.
The main hall of the church is pierced by a wall at a 15-degree angle. This independent structure is unconnected to the ceiling or other parts of the building. It darkens the space, shifting the focus to the light that penetrates through the cross-shaped opening. The walls of the Church of Light separate individuals from the outside world, offering a chance to be alone with oneself and one’s inner voice.
In the book "Tadao Ando: 1983−2000," the architect describes his concept: "Light becomes magnificent only when it can be seen against the deepest darkness. The changes in light remind us again of the relationship between man and nature."
Tadao Ando, an architect without formal education in the field, was taught by part-time jobs in offices, books (for example, about Le Corbusier), and the surrounding architecture. Ando developed his understanding of the relationship between geometry and material through observing nature, particularly trees. He studied their growth process, interaction with sunlight, and learned to discern the quality of wood.
@gorkjournal
Project: Church of the Light
Years: 1987 — 1989
Photo: Hiromitsu Morimoto, S. Ken, Smith Huang, Jumbo Adisak, Scott Norsworthy
Geo: Ibaraki, JP
Text: Anastasia Strashnova
The Church of the Light was conceived as an addition to the home of a Protestant priest and the adjacent chapel. The construction budget, formed from parishioner donations, amounted to approximately $ 250,000. This was insufficient for purchasing wooden materials, leading the architect to opt for concrete instead.
The building consists of a roof and six walls, each 38 cm thick, with overall dimensions of 6×18×6 meters. Tadao incorporated only two religious symbols into the church: a small cross on the north facade and a cross cut into the eastern wall. Through this cross, light enters the liturgy hall, bringing the raw concrete to life.
The architect contrasts the warmth and tenderness of sunlight with the coldness of concrete and the simplicity of the interior. The prayer benches are made from construction scaffolding used to erect the walls.
The main hall of the church is pierced by a wall at a 15-degree angle. This independent structure is unconnected to the ceiling or other parts of the building. It darkens the space, shifting the focus to the light that penetrates through the cross-shaped opening. The walls of the Church of Light separate individuals from the outside world, offering a chance to be alone with oneself and one’s inner voice.
In the book "Tadao Ando: 1983−2000," the architect describes his concept: "Light becomes magnificent only when it can be seen against the deepest darkness. The changes in light remind us again of the relationship between man and nature."
Tadao Ando, an architect without formal education in the field, was taught by part-time jobs in offices, books (for example, about Le Corbusier), and the surrounding architecture. Ando developed his understanding of the relationship between geometry and material through observing nature, particularly trees. He studied their growth process, interaction with sunlight, and learned to discern the quality of wood.
@gorkjournal