CHURCH ON THE WATER (水の教会), Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.22

Day 8 (1/4).

Many people acknowledge the harmonic relationship between buildings and nature in Japanese architecture. Taking the site’s natural context as design inspirations and the dominating factor for spatial arrangement is popular among modern Japanese architecture, where buildings are sometimes configured according to the site terrain or to a unique relationship with a natural element such as a feature tree or a water body. This respect to nature is quite apparent in the works of Tadao Ando.

On our way to Furano, we tried visiting Ando’s Chapel on the Water but failed to get in because of a private wedding taking place. We decided to return once again when we left Furano. To ensure entry, we managed to arrive at the official time for visit: 06:30 to 07:15. Getting to the chapel in Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム) at 06:30 meaning we had to leave our hotel in Nakafurano at 5am.

We made it to Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム) on time for the 6:30 visiting time slot for Ando’s Chapel on the Water.

We were surprised to find that at least 30 people were already waiting for the staff in the waiting lobby. We were soon led out to a path leading to the concrete enclosure of the chapel.

We walked along the concrete wall of the chapel until reaching an opening into the inner court.

Once we got into the inner court, we finally had our first glimpse of the beautiful chapel architecture and its famous cross in the water.

The entry path continued to the back corner of the chapel, where a flight of stairs led us up to the small semi enclosed platform dominated by the cross concrete members.

From the platform we followed a spiral staircase descending down to the main chapel space.

Used for wedding ceremonies, the chapel is simple and elegant. The prime focus for all visitors is the view of the cross and water pond, which takes the place of the traditional altar piece.

The enormous opening can be shut with the hydraulic powered sliding door.

Once the door is shut, the sound of the moving water would be shut off from the interior.

The staff demonstrated the closing and opening of the sliding door for us.

Once the door was opened, the interior was filled with the sound of moving water again.

The exterior scenery was peaceful and calming. The boundary between the interior and exterior didn’t seem to exist.

We could sit there for a long time just to take in the peaceful scenery and calming sound of water and birds. We could imagine how the scenery might change in different seasons.

To exit, we followed the spiral staircase to the lower level, passed through a circular space and left the building from its side.

Outside the building, we could see the frame structure housing the track for the sliding door.

Just like the Church of Light, visiting an early work of Tadao Ando is always touching and inspiring. Taking the effects of light, reflections, sounds and water to formulate the spatial qualities of the architecture, seeing his buildings has always been a spiritual experience for us.