This 200 sqm small chapel by AZL Architects in Wanjing Garden along Nanjing’s Riverfront in China has a wood and steel structure with a gentle exterior shape as well as strong interior space. In plan, it has an octagonal central hall surrounded by square shaped corridors. In section, the use of roof profiles and the long slit of the skylight amplify the depth of space and emphasises the high point over the sacred space where all axes meet. The wooden corridor forms a unique double shell of the central hall space. The inner shell is more closed, leaving natural light to penetrate only through openings in the roof and walls. The outer shell, composed of delicate SPF strips, serves as a filter for the view outside. Light falls through the strip skylight right above the axis of the altar into the center of the hall, and also penetrates from behind the holy cross on the altar wall.
Info © AZL Architects
Images © Yao Li
