Architects:Itm Yooehwa Architects

Area:190m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Yongkwan Kim

Manufacturers:Allon Wood,LX Hausys,Macheonseok,NanumTech,VM zinc

Category:Worship,Educational Architecture

Lead Designer:Toshiharu Tanaka

Designer:Eunbin Yu

Project Manager:Hansung Kim

Structure Engineers:Yoon Structure Engineering

Mechanical Engineers:SEOWON Energy & Environment CO., LTD.

Electrical Engineers:HANKOOK TEC

Construction:Arcus Dnc

Lighting Designers:Bitzro&partners

Construction(Furnitures&Cross):Inox

City:Pohang

Country:South Korea

Text description provided by the architects. The prayer room "Heaven's Voice" at Handong University began as a project initiated by a donation from an elder of a local church. While there were several potential sites for a chapel on campus, the current location was chosen without hesitation. To the eyes of the architect, who is also a Christian, the overall shape of Handong University resembled a sheep, and a small hill at its heart caught his attention. This site is strategically positioned, visible from surrounding campus buildings, and the intention was to inscribe the cross from a heavenly perspective, rather than from the human eye level.

Due to a very tight budget, the project began with the decision to forgo any finishes and instead focus on a design that conveys meaning through its form. Rather than attempting to incorporate all possible functions into the building, the aim was to emphasize its purpose as a prayer room. This led to the creation of a path for meditation starting from the base of the hill, symbolizing the beginning of prayer. The hill's base serves as the starting point for prayer, and ramps around the building were designed to ensure that the flow of the meditation path connects both the interior and exterior spaces.

The entrance to the prayer room maintains a width suitable for a hallway, which may feel somewhat narrow considering it is the main entrance; however, this was intentional to guide individuals to enter one by one, preserving the sanctity of the space. Inside the small chapel, columns were omitted in favor of a cantilever structure to symbolize the heavy concept of the cross in Christianity. When seated, the design encourages horizontal communication with the surrounding natural environment, while a skylight above the cross allows natural light to pour in, representing a vertical connection with the heavens.

"Heaven's Voice" is a space that fosters communication with natural light both horizontally and vertically, imparting the significance of the cross. From the moment one enters the building, the light streaming in through the skylight allows for an experience of the cross, and the light that gathers within captures the passage of time. This space is meant to hold the earnest prayers of many students who will lead the future. It is my hope that here, restoration and vision through prayer will be proclaimed.

"Heaven's Voice" is a space that conveys the meaning of the cross through communication with natural light both horizontally and vertically. From the moment one enters the building, they experience the cross illuminated by light streaming through the skylight, and the light that gathers inside captures the passage of time. This space is meant to hold the earnest prayers of many students who will lead the future. It is my hope that here, restoration and vision through prayer will be proclaimed.

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