WEAVA Architects shared with us their proposal for the protestant church of Dong Sheng district, in the city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. After three years of being on stand-by and having the site relocated twice, the city and the Association of Protestants of Ordos came to an agreement to pursue the construction of the new church. As a result, the team revealed a fresh and even more accomplished design scheme, which is based on one of the most ecclesiastical symbols. This led them to the dove of peace, which is the main concept for this church. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Early Christians portrayed baptism accompanied by a dove holding an olive branch in its beak and used this image as an allegory of peace. The form of the plan is reminiscent of a white dove resting before flight. The peace that passes over the silhouette is implicit from the beginning. This is not only because the floor plan is driven by the shape of a dove, but also because of the distribution of spaces and the relationship between them. The curved walls and topography embrace both the building and the people frequenting it.
