This project involved the renovation of a chapel located on the waterfront of Cotton Harbor in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai area. The existing building was already oriented directly toward Tokyo Bay, with openings framing the expansive sky above the sea. Yet, when standing near the window and shifting one’s gaze slightly, the rich urban scenery of Minato Mirai came into view.
To capture this, structurally unnecessary side walls were removed, creating an L-shaped opening that frames both the sea and the city. The ceiling was shaped with a smooth, wave like undulation, reinforcing the affinity with the waterfront landscape. This large, flowing curve introduces a gentle asymmetry that naturally guides the eye toward the diagonally open view. At the far end of the opening, greenery was placed to harmonize with the wooden ceiling finish, while also establishing a landscape foreground against the borrowed scenery of Minato Mirai.
As a theatrical space staged for once in a lifetime wedding ceremonies, the chapel layers natural artifice and artificial nature in continuous succession. Within this crossover of hybrid beauty, the design invites couples to take their first step into a new chapter of life.
