kubo tsushima architects softly illuminates tokyo wedding chapel with rainbow lighting

kubo tsushima architects softly illuminates tokyo wedding chapel with rainbow lighting
all images courtesy of kubo tsushima architects
photography by koji fujii / nacasa & partners

japanese studio kubo tsushima architects were charged with renovating a wedding hall in ebisu, tokyo. the ‘rainbow chapel’ was originally used as an annex to an exclusive members-only salon next door and the previous excessive ornamentation has been eliminated and stripped back. focussing on a space animated by natural light, the oval-shaped room features rows of wooden chairs, facing a simple alter at the end.

the renovation sees the wedding chapel stripped back and paired with a contemporary approach using natural light

using light as the embellishment, the proposal sees the strategy of utilizing the high sidelights and installing colored, reflective plates. the result is seen by the light reflecting off and producing a soft, technicolor glow that illuminates through the fins of the walls and animating the interior space; producing a calm and ethereal effect. the rainbow is symbolic of ‘promise’ and the architects hideaki kubo and yumi tsushima comments ‘by giving “decoration to light” instead of using physical ornamentation, we have transformed the space into a contemporary ceremonial space.’

the rainbow effect is achieved by painting the glass in different colors

a soft light bounces of the vertical fins of the walls to give an ethereal effect

the client wanted excessive decoration to be eliminated and replaced with a design animated by natural light

sunlight reflects off the colored plate, this producing the rainbow effect

floor plan