Zhuting Church

Zhuzhou, China

Site Location

Drawing © Pu Miao

First Floor Plan

Drawing © Pu Miao

Between the bamboo fence and the wall, the entering path leads to the main entrance.

Photo © Pu Miao

A bridge before the main entrance, under the bridge is a preserved water hole.

Photo © Pu Miao

A south-north view of the series of courtyards

Photo © Pu Miao

The bell tower and the east exterior of the Church

Photo © Pu Miao

The door of the church and the forecourt, the opening on the right leads to the series of courtyards.

Photo © Pu Miao

Interior of the Church, second floor contains lodging rooms, with space under for communal dining.

Photo © Pu Miao

The “gate” leading toward the exterior altar and the diagonal wall separating the worship space from the foyer.

Photo © Pu Miao

The “gate” leading toward the exterior altar

Photo © Pu Miao

Religious buildings

Arquitectos: Pu Miao

Localização: Zhuting, Zhuzhou, Zhuzhou, China
Ano: 2002
Cliente: Zhuting Church
Equipa: Pu Miao
Engineering: Zhuzhou County Architectural Design Institute, Hunan Province

Located next to a mountain path, this rural church responds to its narrow site with a zigzag spatial sequence that generates the much needed transitional space from the profane to the sacred. Inside, a unique sacred space is created through pairing the chapel with an outdoor space which contains the altar. The volunteering architect adopted the form and material of local farm buildings to facilitate users’ participation in the design and construction process. These measures not only contributed to the completion of the project within a tight budget, but also could be seen as an experiment on the localization of Modernism in a developing country.

Publication
Time+Architecture (China, 4/2007)