Church of the Light, Minimalist concrete church in Ibaraki, Japan
The Church of the Light is a reinforced concrete church building in Ibaraki, composed of three rectangular concrete masses cut through by a diagonally angled wall. This arrangement creates separate areas for worship and entry, with wooden pews and flooring set against the exposed concrete interior.
The Ibaraki Kasugaoka Church was founded in 1972, and its first wooden chapel stood where the church hall now is. Tadao Ando designed the present chapel, completed in 1989; funding shortfalls led to a proposal for a roofless church, but donations from supporters and the contractor allowed the roof to be built. The 1995 Kobe earthquake tilted the old wooden chapel, and in 1999 Ando's church hall, nicknamed the Sunday School, replaced it.
The building strips away religious ornament and relies on simple forms instead. Light enters through a cross-shaped opening in the concrete wall and becomes the main visual element of the minimalist space.
The building is compact and can be viewed quickly, with a size comparable to a small house. The concrete surfaces become very bright during sunny days, so time your visit to see the light effects you prefer.
Japanese craftsmen built precise wooden formwork to achieve perfectly aligned joints and smooth concrete surfaces throughout. This handcrafted precision gives the minimalist design a subtle refinement that becomes apparent only upon close inspection.
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