The stunning building, with a clear reference to the architecture by Tadao Ando, in its forms and finishing of concrete, becomes a point of reference in this cold landscape.
"Concrete reveals its solidity as a metaphor for religious values that are not easily changed in an era of unpredictability.", said the architects. "Moreover, the cross as a religious symbol substitutes for an enormous bell tower and is integrated with the physical property of the building through the empty space at the upper part of the staircase."
A large sheltered terrace takes up most of the ground floor of the site, creating a space that can be used for various community activities.
Ideas and descrption by NAMELESS Architecture
RW Concrete Church is located in Byeollae, a newly developed district near northeast Seoul, Korea. It evokes a feeling, not of a city already completed, but a building on a new landscape somewhere between nature and artificiality, or between creation and extinction. The church, which will be a part of the new urban fabric, is concretized through a flow of consecutive spaces based on simple shape, single physical properties and programs.
The use of simple volumes and a single material adapted to the site collects a range of desires created in the newly developed district. Concrete, which is a structure as well as a basic finishing material for the building, indicates a property that penetrates the entire church, and at the same time, a firm substance that grasps the gravity of the ground it stands on, which is contrary in concept from abstraction. Concrete reveals its solidity as a metaphor for religious values which are not easily changed in an era of unpredictability. Moreover, the cross as a religious symbol substitutes for an enormous bell tower and is integrated with the physical property of the building through the empty space at the upper part of the staircase. The minimized symbol implies the internal tension of the space.
The first thing encountered upon entering the building is the empty concrete yard on the ground floor. This is a flexible space that acts as a venue for interaction with the community while also accommodating varying religious programs. By the time you become accustomed to the dark as you walk past this empty yard, and climb the three stories of closed stairs, you come face to face with a space full of light. This interior space has a cantilever structure protruding 6.9m, and you must pass through this hall before entering the chapel. This cantilevered space is a physical as well as spiritual transition that connects daily life with religion. The chapel creates a sense of peace with a single space, using a slope that is not so steep, evoking the feeling of attending a worship service on a low hill. The subdued light gleaming through the long and narrow clerestory embraces the entire chapel and lends vigor to the static space.
Text by.- NAMELESS Architecture.
CREDITS.
Architect.- NAMELESS Architecture / www.namelessarchitecture.com
Architects In Charge.- Unchung Na, Sorae Yoo. Collaborating Architect.- Jplus (Jungtaek Lim, Hwataek Jung). Structural consultant.- Mido Structural Consultants. Mechanical consultant.- One Engineering.
Client.- RockWon Church.
General contractor.- Beyond Space Construction.
Design.- 2011-2012.
Completion.- 2013.
Location.- Byeollae, South Korea.
Area.- 3,095.5 sqm / 33,319.7sqft
Photography.- © Rohspace / NAMELESS Architecture
Video.- © Rohspace (Roh Kyung)
