Westin Suzhou Chapel, spiritual interior connecting with nature
EID Architecture
Public Space
/
Future
KWG Suzhou Chapel is located at the landscaped courtyard of Westin Hotel, Suzhou, China, providing facilities for housing wedding ceremonies and spiritual rituals.
The design aims to respond to the site context and functional programming, while celebrating the connections with the nature outside and devoting a spiritual interior space for enriching spatial experiences. By playing with the volume, material and light, we try to create a pure and sacred atmosphere.
One simple geometry, purely white surfaces, minimal material selections, clean profile … All make it a pure and abstract design, a chapel with a striking presence as a modern work of art.
The use of precast concrete panels emphasizes the planes and clean edges that the material allows for achieving the beauty of minimalism in architecture.
Theatrical Interior Spatial Experience
The massive closed façade isolates the noises coming from the outside environment, creating a sacred and enclosed internal space through the contrast in-between interior and exterior.
Stepping into the chapel, one would walk through a narrowed and dim threshold before entering the opened and bright main-room for ceremonies. Contraction and expansion of the space form the spatial sequence that transfers from “suppression” to “promotion”, while utilizing spatial hierarchy to have the process of entering the auditorium become a dramatic emotional experience.
Sculpture of Light
Light also became key in the design of the chapel, with an emphasis on both defused and reflected natural light. Linear skylight accommodates and brings natural light into the space, while the interior curving surfaces helps create a warm and bright space by delivering light diffusions throughout the space.
A few narrow gaps between the walls also bring in the natural lighting. In Westin Suzhou Chapel, lighting is carefully controlled with the interior space. The light projects directly onto the wall, generating the fascinating lighting effect. With the change of time and day, the interior lighting and shadow changes subtly, enriching the spatial experiences vividly.
The textured precast concrete panel façade abstractly echoes the lace and hemlines elements from bridal gowns, transforming into architectural expression in the façade design.
As the background of the outdoor session of wedding and ritual, the façade creates a sense of sacred and elegant for the outdoor space.
Suzhou
China
KWG Group Holdings
01/2018
140 m2
Ping Jiang
Kai Ding, Di Fan, Tong Zheng, Yu Song
Curriculum
EID Architecture (EID-Arch) is an emerging design practice for architecture and urbanism. With studios in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, EID-Arch is led by Founding Principal Ping Jiang, AIA, who established the firm in 2015. Striving to provide intelligent and creative design solutions for architecture and urban environment, EID-Arch is founded on the belief that design can transform life, and is deeply committed to design excellence, innovation and sustainability. The firm has extensive experience in a wide range of building types, ranging from the small scale of a chapel to the large scale of urban design.
Our works represent the world’s leading design concept, culture attitude and commercial strategies, many of which have been widely published by global architecture & design media. The practice consists of multinational design professionals, reflecting a rich mix of cultural connections of this global age.
