Catholic Suzuka Church / Alphaville Architects

Catholic Suzuka Church / Alphaville Architects

 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows, Facade Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Image 5 of 53 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - More Images+ 48

Suzuka-shi, Japan
  • Project Team: Tomohisa Koike
  • Structural Engineer: Takashi Manda
  • Architects In Charge: Kentaro Takeguchi, Asako Yamamoto
  • City: Suzuka-shi
  • Country: Japan
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 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows
© Toshiyuki Yano

Text description provided by the architects. Responding to a dramatic growth in the foreign Catholic community in Suzuka, a new religious space is needed not only for worships but also social interactions. The Catholic Suzuka Church, presented by the Alphaville Architects, is an integration of multiple functions including a chapel, a community hall and residences for priests. Located in Suzuka, where the HONDA motor industry bases, the presented project is sitting on the cross junction of two major streets, with one being a newly built motorway and the remaining one being an ancient road connecting Tokyo and Osaka since Edo period.

 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows, Facade
© Toshiyuki Yano
Axonometric
 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows
© Toshiyuki Yano

The project features an expressive roof which wraps up all the functional spaces. It is shaped as multiple diagonal arches overlapping each other with gaps. This was inspired by the stunning mountain scape surrounding the city, and reminds citizens of the natural elegance.

 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows
© Toshiyuki Yano

To handle crowds on Sundays, the whole volume is lifted to maximize the car parking space underneath without shrinking the other functional areas. The roof is split into pieces every five meters – referring to the parking lot module – for skylights to introduce the southern natural light to the interiors. Connected by two gently inclined staircases, the pilotis and the entrance lobbies on the second floor define a plaza for social events and buffering from the heavily motorized city.

Section

Referring to the “Nori’s figure/ground theory”, the lobby is designed as an extension of the city pathways, manipulating relationships among the “inside-out” spaces converging at the church that allow easy approaches.

 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Facade, Glass, Windows, Beam
© Toshiyuki Yano
Structural Diagram
 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Image 37 of 53
© Toshiyuki Yano

With its lively gesture, this project surpasses precedents with enhanced accessibility, translating worships into daily-life philosophy and bridges mankind to the holy with falls of natural light.

 Catholic Suzuka Church  / Alphaville Architects - Windows, Facade
© Toshiyuki Yano

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Project location

Address:Japan, 〒513-0801 Mie-ken, Suzuka-shi, Kanbe, 3 Chome−17−5, カトリック鈴鹿教会

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: " Catholic Suzuka Church / Alphaville Architects" 26 Jul 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/876544/catholic-suzuka-church-alphaville> ISSN 0719-8884

© Toshiyuki Yano

山影层层叠叠,便成了铃鹿天主教堂 / ALPHAVILLE

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