SYN architects nestles hometown moon chapel into china's mountains

THE HOMETOWN MOON CHAPEL – A HALF-SPHERE SHAPE THAT RESEMBLES THE MOON

SYN architects has completed the hometown moon, a chapel in tai’an, shandong, china. led by zou yingxi, the project was commissioned back in 2019, where the architects were asked to develop and design a plan that could stimulate growth for the mountainous area. encompassing a total of 55 square kilometers, the aim was to connect this area while providing visitors with new experiences that showcase the local life and industry as well as its environmental attractions. 

images by zheng yan

THE STRUCTURE BY SYN ARCHITECTS CREATES A DIALOGUE BETWEEN MANUFACTURED AND NATURAL SYMBOLS

‘since the completion of the building, it has started a dialogue with users and nature. I look forward to seeing it being modified over time, further blending with the environment as the trees grow,’ said zou yingxi, lead architect of SYN architects. ‘each architecture has two destinies: being destroyed or being protected. I look forward to creating an architecture that is reluctant to be destroyed. it will be the highest achievement of my career. for this reason, I will bestow deeper meaning to my architecture and create more emotional bonds for its users. I hope that the moon can become this kind of architecture. even if it disappears in time, it will still exist in our spiritual world.’

THE HOMETOWN MOON CHAPEL AND THE HOMETOWN CLOUD

the project created by SYN architects features two structures — the hometown moon chapel and the hometown cloud observation deck. upon arrival, visitors are asked to walk from the parking area towards the structures. the ten-minute walk prepares visitors for what’s coming, by first emerging them in nature before reaching the ceremony hall.

a half-sphere shape is the first thing visitors will notice rising from a body of water, creating a reflection that makes it appear as a whole. the rest of the structure goes underground, where a cave-like space continues to reveal the other half of the sphere. the project resembles a moon that never sets and the idea behind it is to create a ceremony hall designed to escape conventionalisms.

from the hometown cloud, visitors have the perfect view over the hometown moon chapel. this view creates a dialogue between manufactured and natural symbols, where the chapel blends with its surroundings.

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project info:

project name: the hometown moon
architecture firm: SYN architects
location: daolang town, tai’an city, shandong province, china
photography: zheng yan, huasheng (video)
principal architect: zou yingxi
design team: liu yuan, jin na
collaborators: zhu feng, chen lan, liang xiaoting, ruan jianjun, shi lina, tang tang, zheng lihua, liu shuang (sketch), feng yasong, liao shijie, chen lu, xu yan, zheng shuai
interior design: xia fuqiang, qian guoxing, cao zhenzhen, liu tingting, li qianxi, : feng yan, guo mengjia, li hui
built area: 1469 m² (architecture area), 856 m² (interior area)
site area: 1866 m²
design year: 2019
completion year: 2021
structural engineer: wang qiang, yang jian, yan dongqiang
environmental & mep: huang yuanzheng, mei yantao, ji pengcheng
landscape: jin nan, xu lu, liu shuang, li beibei, liang jingqi
lighting: create stars studio lighting design
construction: shandong tai shan puhui construction ltd, shandong tai shan puhui construction ltd,
material: slab, glass, wood panels, stainless steel panels
client: taian lushang jiunvfeng rural revitalization co., ltd.
status: built
typology: religious architecture / chapel