Vector Architects

Founded in 2008 Beijing
Founder Dong Gong
Project conception 2014.8-2014.11
Construction 2014.11-2015.10
Location Beidaihe Qinghuangdao Hebei
Area 270 sqm
Architect Dong Gong, Sun Dongping
Team Wang Yiqi, Liu Zhiyong, Zhang Yifan  
Photo by Chen Hao, Shi Zheng/AOGVISION
Courtesy Vector Architects
www.vectorarchitects.com
@vectorarchitects
@donggong_vectorarchitects

直向建筑

2008年成立于北京
创始人董功
海边教堂
项目设计2014年4月至2014年11月
建造2014年11月至2015年10月
位于河北秦皇岛北戴河
面积270平方米
建筑师董功, 孙栋平
团队王艺祺, 刘志勇, 张艺凡
摄影陈颢, 施峥/奥观视觉
图片来自直向建筑

Seashore Chapel

This chapel reminds a line from the poem written by Haizi: I have a house, facing the sea, with spring blossoms.

Whereas this is a chapel, a religious place provides a sanctuary at the beach of the famous district Beidaihe, in the northeast coast of China. 

On the side of the entrance, large steps are leading to the inside of the chapel. On the other side, which is facing the ocean, two concrete columns raise the chapel, creating a shelter underneath the structure. 

The chapel is in an ascending gable shape, coated in white stucco, in the background of blue sky and seawater: it gives a sacred and pure experience. Walking inside, all the walls are also painted in the same white and warm colour. The fine and thin cross is elegantly recessed in the alcove of the wall. In the roof, there are discrete opening allowing the light flow in, the yellow and red window filter the daylight and create beams of colour on the interior walls. 10 wooden benched are simply aligned in two rows. In front of the chapel, the wide-open balcony gives an exclusive view of the ocean. 

This is a place to escape from the city, to hide from the sound and fury of the society, This is also an observatory to contemplate the sea and sky with our naked eyes, then to empty and to clean the deepest of the mind. This is a chapel for us to pray and to feel grateful.