Chapel of Sound, resembling a giant rock, sits in a peaceful valley near the Great Wall. The semi-enclosed auditorium is designed for optimal sound and seamlessly integrates with nature through various openings. The lighting design is not just for visual appeal, but also evokes emotions, humility, sensitivity, and warmth. Exterior lighting is kept to a minimum and is environmentally friendly, in compliance with Dark Sky code requirements.
We aim to create strong contrasts between light and shadow to establish a rhythm in the space. Visitors enter the performance hall by ascending a winding stair in a dimly lit, crevice-like gap between the inner and outer walls. The hall is fully lit by natural sunlight and artificial downlights at night. These downlights are flush-recessed into the ceiling, resembling grey holes, which maintains the clean aesthetic of the poured-in-place concrete ceiling. The design allows for easy maintenance and upkeep of the downlights without compromising the structural integrity.
The hall lighting is designed to accommodate multiple scenarios, allowing it to work in different ambient light levels and for various functions. Dark-light reflector downlights were chosen in the auditorium hall to provide enhanced visual comfort, so that the stars can still be seen through the big opening even when the artificial lighting is on.
Customized recessed wall lamps are used in the stairs, corridor and terraces, which are simply light openings in the concrete walls without visible lighting parts. Linear up lights are hidden in the upper part of the stacked layers in the crevice-like gap, providing diffused light that softens the roughness of concrete and creates a comfortable atmosphere.
A walkway on the roof is composed of straight lines and right angles, and this rationalist order is echoed by low-level linear LED lights embedded in the drainage system along the terrace wall, which create a subtle glow at the bottom of the wall without disturbing visitors’ views of the valley.
The façade of the building is illuminated without traditional flood lighting, but a few openings reflect light from within and a few spotlights on the ground, hidden in the stones, provide a faint light to the bottom of the building, avoiding any spill light into the sky.
A single spotlight mounted atop the entryway creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere with its illuminating glow, while the backlit bronze signage in the foyer adds a theatrical touch, further enhancing the inviting mood.
