AMBi studio: light of christ's salvation church

‘light of christ’s salvation church’ by AMBi studio, taichung city, taiwan all images courtesy of AMBi studio

within the rapidly growing taichung city, taiwan-based AMBi studio has built the ‘life of christ’s salvation church,’ which injects a new source of urban and historical context within an architecturally indistinct environment. based on the imagery of noah’s ark upon the mountain, the chapel sits perched upon a solid base of concrete, exposed through several cuts and turns that also introduce natural illumination. the aligned vertical elements of the entry sequence allude to the classical gothic cathedral and delineate a volume open to the local community for activities. the journey to the interior is elongated, to offer a gateway for purification before entering the spiritual realm.

the chapel, by contrast to its concrete foundation, is made of a long-span steel structural elements to create an open area in which to pray. the exterior is clad with titanium-zinc panels to differentiate the ark through the use of material, while the interior features a soft array of wood textures that cover every surface of the sacred space. the chapel is brought to life by natural daylight, and sits structurally offset from the substructure below to emphasize its change in nature.  

corner view

the ‘ark’ upon the ‘mountain’

basement

vertical circulation

entry space

void in the stairwell for light

interior of the chapel

concept sketch

sketch

sketch