spirituality 27.pdf

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spirituality - lesson 27: tado ando

sitting in the quite residential suburb of oaska, in japan, is the ibaraki kasugaokakyokai - church of the light. in 1989 tadao ando was asked to design a christianchurch in the neighborhood he grew up in, the budget was very small but andoskillfully created what would become one of his most acknowledged buildings.

the building consists of two areas - the chapel and the sunday school (added in1999), which are seperated by freestanding walls intersecting at 15 degrees. thewhole space is only 113 sqm and is contained by ando's signature material,concrete. these walls have no decoration and could have run the risk of beingover bearing. instead the building refrains from mitigating the experience ofcontemplation and helps distinguish scared from the ungodly, the internalreligious intimacy from the outside world.


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the power of light

what really defines the chapel is the use of light and shadows. the most notable,and important, feature is the cruciform window in the concrete rear wall, which

allows light to enter the space. where traditional christian chapels may haverelied on crucifixes as religious icons, ando uses light and nature as a symbol ofspirituality. the window creates a cross which glows intensely with the sun's rays

and becomes the focal point for visitors. the simplicity of the surrounding wallscould have been constricting, instead they are forgotten and focus remains on


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the light, ever changing throughout the day and through the seasons. andocreates an impression of emptiness that allows only for the surrounding of lightand stillness.

every window slices seamlessly through the concrete walls, which have theappearance of being freestanding. ando had originally wanted the cross shapedwindows to be glass-less, so that the wind could enter the space adding a

tension to the area, however the clients insisted on some comfort.thedominating cross also caused concern when it was realised that the pastor wouldneed to preach from the side of the cross, not directly in the centre, they wereconvinced however; and rightly so, its presence is paramount to the wholedesign. another unusual configuration is that once entering the place, the floordescends towards the cross, the seating, much like a theatre, is staggered to theend.


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furnishing the space

the extremely low budget soon ran out and in the end the contractor donated itsconstruction of the roof to the church. once the building was completed all thatwas left to do was furnish it. but with no money left there was one final challengeto the project, one which ando overcame masterfully. all the church pews, thealter and any other furniture was constructed out of the wood used for theconcrete framework. the humble furniture completed this place of contemplation

perfectly, not distracting from the purpose of the place.

tadao ando on spirituality and architecture

'I feel that the goal of most religions is similar, to make men happier and more atease with themselves. I see no contradiction in my designing christian churches.'in his youth ando visited the pantheon in rome and having seen the circular holein the ceiling realised that light was truly the giver of live to a space. in his words'light so powerful it unites'. the exploration of nature (light, water...) is a constant

theme in tadao ando's work, he tries not to create buildings of materialism butones that capture a spirituality and, in the case of his churches, enhancemeditation. churches are the housing of experiences, the church of the light is

brilliant example of how even the simplest buildings can provide a sanctuary forspiritual meetings.

for more information seedesignboom's interview with tadao ando
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ando.htmlhttp://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ando.htmlhttp://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ando.htmlhttp://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ando.html

spirituality 27.pdf

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