Image
Image of Crystal which is soaring out from the ground became a motive for designing the Hansomang Church. Initially two glass box buildings were planned with two phases; however the two masses become one single building through the series of permit process and negotiation with the client.
Glass Facade
Large scale building for 4,500 people is generally designed as big box type with closed space. But closed space with such scale can give people suspicion about the identity of the building. Therefore we decided to open up the one side of the building by putting enormous glass facade as well as 30 meter high void space in front of each floors so that people can easily understand where all the halls are located in the church from the outside.
Stair
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Another challenging element in planning the large main hall on top of the building is to solve the circulation issue of the congregation. We try to solve the circulation of people mainly by using the stairs rather than elevators or other mechanisms. The scissor type stairs with bilateral directions rather than one direction were introduced in order to make the flow of people easily. After completion of building, scissor type stairs shows how people are moving from top main hall to the ground like water flows from top to bottom.
Void Space in Front
Huge open space of 30 meter high and 60 meter long are planned between glass facade and each floor. This void space connects each floor in one huge space visually from the bamboo grove in the bottom up to the ceiling of the main hall on top.
Extruded Space
Comparing to the size of this large space, the office area for preacher looks small so that it has little recognition from outside. Rather putting this office space in the corner of the large main space, we extrude this space out of the main mass like drawer was pulled out so that this extruded space was distinguished from the main building mass.