SAYAMA LAKESIDE CEMETERY PARK
SAITAMA, JAPAN
87
HIROSHI NAKAMURA & NAP CO.
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Abutting a protected forest, the nondenominational chapel was envisioned as an extension of the woods—a building close to nature, as the architect explains, is one close to the spirit. To reinforce this connection, Nakamura first determined where to plant trees, then created his building around them. Once the plan was in place, he wrapped each bay with a curved wall and tilted it inward, leaving room for the branches to grow. Between bays, triangular sheets of glass complete the exterior enclosure, visually fusing indoors with out. “For us, this form is not a strong architectural statement,” says project architect Kohei Taniguchi. “It is simply a consequence of the site.” Merging the intricate geometries of the plan and section into a three-dimensional volume was a complicated task deftly handled by the structural system. It consists of 251 pairs of sloping wooden rafters, each one joined in an upside-down V by a hidden steel plate. Holding the rafters in place are concealed ridge beams and a steel ring attached to the chapel’s concrete foundations. Placed close together, the individual members form a continuously curving surface, resulting in a sculpted interior that soars 30 feet high. Naturally, precise calculations and exquisite craftsmanship were essential for the successful realization of the chapel’s complex shape. This challenge was compounded by the structure’s complete exposure and the conspicuous absence of mistake-masking construction details. “We didn’t want people to be distracted,” explains Nakamura. Instead, the unfinished wood beams relate to the trees outside, while roughly hewn stone pavers angle toward an unknown vanishing point out in the forest. The only polished material is the stone altar marking the sanctuary’s center axis. Befitting places for baring the soul, both the Community Hall and the chapel are honest expressions of material and construction. Here there is nothing to hide and nothing is hidden. The result is an unadorned architecture that consoles the heart as it uplifts the spirit. ■
EARTHLY MATTERS Steeply angled to prevent the accumulation of fallen leaves, the chapel is clad with rough aluminum tiles that deter unsightly sap drippings. Cast in six rectangular shapes, the malleable plates were bent by hand to accommodate the building’s curves (opposite and right). Inside, a central stone altar stands amid unfinished wood rafters with gently rounded edges (below)—a detail that makes them easy on the eye and smooth to the touch.
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CHAPEL FLOOR PLAN 0
16 FT. 5 M.
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ENTRANCE
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SEATING
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ACCESSIBLE
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ALTAR
ENTRANCE
credits ARCHITECT: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Co. —
Hiroshi Nakamura, principal; Kouhei Taniguchi, project architect ENGINEERS: Ove Arup & Partners GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Matsui (Community Hall); Shimizu (Forest Chapel) CLIENT: Boenfuyukai Foundation SIZE: 5,200 square feet (Community Hall); 1,230 square feet (Forest Chapel) COST: withheld COMPLETION DATE: July 2013 (Community
Hall); November 2013 (Forest Chapel)
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