NAP Architects have designed a wedding chapel in Hiroshima, Japan formed by two entwining spiral stairways.
February 18th, 2015
Located in the gardens of Bella Vista Sakaigahama, a resort hotel in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan, this wedding chapel is not only a striking piece of architecture; it comes loaded with symbolism.
Just as couples go through life’s journey and its twists and turns before uniting as one, the entwining stairways spiral upward before joining at their 15.4-metre high summit to form a single ribbon.
At the core of their movement is a chapel, with a view of a symbolic tree outside, and the ocean beyond that.
Typically, a building is composed of distinct elements: roof, wall, and floor. Here, however, the entwining stairways create the building’s roofs, eaves, walls and floors. The stairways widen in breadth in response to location and function, such as at the summit where the couple meet, in the directions having fine views, and in places where the eaves must be deep to shield the interior from the sun.
Adding to the symbolism is the wedding route that couples are invited to take to the altar. Each makes their way up a separate stairway to meet at the top, where they declare their vows before making their way back down together.
In describing this project, founder of NAP Architects Hiroshi Nakamura says, “The simple building is composed only of paths, along which sceneries of ocean, mountains, sky, and distant islands successively appear and disappear. Although it is only a small building, we endeavoured to accommodate the emotions of the bride and groom and the thoughts of the celebrants by extending the aisle to a total length of 160 metres and expanding the range of experiences.”
NAP Architects
nakam.info/en/
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Available now across Australia, Eden TPO is setting new standards in terms of not just sustainability, but also style.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.