The popular La Viena Wedding Ceremony Hall in Himeji, Japan has been given a new chapel. The old Aile-Blanche Chapel has been replaced with a modern, curvy, cloud-shaped structure of clear glass set above a reflecting pool. The new Cloud of Luster Chapel translates the importance and significance of the wedding day into physical space.
Cloud of Luster Wedding Chapel
The new chapel was designed by Mr. Tetsuya Matsumoto of KTX archilab and the following text is from their website with photography by ©Stirling Elmendorf
Luster, glitter, sparkle, light, shiny, and bright are fundamentals of any modern wedding ceremony in Japan. The more the merrier. The time for writing a new page in people’s life, a white page, all in joy, all in happiness, all together, open to the future, reflecting dreams and hopes, reflecting the Luster of Life.
Dreams and light were translated into curves and glass, a cloud-shaped space for the chapel was enveloped in transparent Glass bringing day light from all directions. The very light roof is supported by organic shaped white pillars.
The ceiling is also all white, uninterrupted by any machineries or equipment.
The approach to the entrance follows the same spirit wrapping the space around the central basin of the courtyard.
The chapel sits on elevated curved base giving impression of floating in the basin. The water surface helps reflecting the chapel extending the dreams into other dimensions.
The floor of the nave is made of backlit glass to draw attention into the ceremonial walking up the nave.
Other upper lights were placed around the pillars, and air-conditioning is also made through slits along the curved glass.
The floor both inside and outside of the chapel is covered in glass beads and resin adding more shine when receiving the sun rays.
Cloud of Luster chapel translates the wedding ceremony spirit into built environment offering nothing but a dreamy glistering memory.
水盤に浮かぶ雲のチャペル
Cloud of Luster Chapel
images by Stirling Elmendorf / @Stirphoto, courtesy of the architect and La Viena Wedding Manor