The Seashore Chapel is imagined as an old drifting boat, an empty structure that the ocean has left behind and now lies on the beach in Beidaihe New District, China
The chapel by the sea is actually a project by Vector Architects, a religious space serving the community. Seashore Chapel is the man-made space closest to the ocean in the area: in addition to religious programs, the structure hosts many public and community events. Visitors to the chapel have the opportunity to slow down, be in close contact with nature, and examine their inner state.
The space of Seashore Chapel is divided vertically, into outdoor and indoor space: the covered outdoor space naturally becomes a stopping point for people on the beach, a connection point between the religious space and worldly life. During high tide, when the outdoor space is submerged by water, the image of a drifting boat emerges.
The atmosphere on the upper floor is intensely divine and religious. The spatial experience begins on the 30-meter path that leads to the chapel. With a glimpse of the ocean in the distance, you climb the stairs, pass through the gate, and walk around the wall with a view of the ocean. The relationship between the space and the ocean becomes more intense as you go higher up.
The only large horizontal window with a view of the ocean is located on the east facade, framing the ocean view, and on the north side there is a cantilevered meditation space. To maintain a uniform and continuous external appearance, all windows are hidden in the spaces between the main envelope and various parallel sliding wall pieces.
