Looked at one way, the Chamber Church in Shandong, China, is a typical — even prototypical — place of Christian worship, with its spire, belfry and nave. It’s scenic, too, thanks to the artificial pond out back. But in place of a single exterior skin, the structure comprises 60 two-dimensional “slices” lined up sequentially, giving the facade an abstracted quality and distributing sunlight evenly throughout its cavelike interiors. The architect has achieved a rarity in his field: a radical design that nevertheless feels deeply familiar.
Team Ziyu Zhuang with Fanshi Yu, Fabian Wieser and Na Li
The Chamber Church
With the Chamber Church, BUZZ and Büro Ziyu Zhu have achieved a rarity in the field: a radical design that nevertheless feels deeply familiar.