Coast Whale Chapelle by Jinyu Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award d'Or in Design d'Architecture, Bâtiment et Structure Competition Category.

OrArchitecture· 2020

Coast Whale Chapelle

by Jinyu Zhang

Client: Zhang Jinyu

A' Design Award d'Or Winner in Architecture Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #98578

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Coast Whale Chapelle

La forme bionique de la baleine est devenue la langue de cette chapelle. Une baleine échouée sur la côte islandaise. Une personne peut entrer dans son corps par une queue de poisson basse et expérimenter la perspective d'une baleine regardant l'océan où il est plus facile pour les humains de réfléchir à la négligence de la dégradation de l'environnement. La structure de support tombe sur la plage pour assurer un minimum de dommages à l'environnement naturel. Des matériaux naturels et respectueux de l'environnement font de ce projet une destination touristique qui appelle à la protection de l'environnement.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Or

Coast Whale Chapelle est lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or, une reconnaissance immensément prestigieuse décernée à des designs de premier ordre, merveilleux et remarquables. Les lauréats Or sont des créations extrêmement innovantes, visionnaires et d'un éclat glamour éblouissant, qui reflètent le génie, la sagesse et la maîtrise de leurs concepteurs. Coast Whale Chapelle est censé être une invention très louée, avant-gardiste et monumentale, qui apporte une valeur sans précédent. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or est un projet spectaculaire et respecté qui sert grandement l'art, la science, le design et la technologie et en repousse les limites. Coast Whale Chapelle crée de vifs sentiments de désir, éveille la passion, encourage la créativité et nous fascine.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: As a temporary and yet to be completed project, the supporting structure falls on the beach to ensure minimal damage to the natural environment. The black wood echoes the traditional way of Iceland. Natural and environmentally friendly materials make this project a tourist destination that calls for environmental protection and saves whales. The church used dark natural light as much as possible to direct the sight to the ocean. Here you can admire Iceland's most famous black beach.
Dimensions & Packaging: 20m x 8m x 11m
Tags: Contemporary Architecture, Chapel, Sacred Architecture, Concrete, Atmosphere
Production Technology: wood，steel, glass, and marble
Design Challenge: There is only a strong adaptive solution. You can see very good built environment and important indicators to attract tourists.
Research: The building is closely related to the site, regardless of the form and construction of the whale. The adjustable nodes are adapted to the geological conditions of the beach and can even be temporarily moved according to the extreme weather in Iceland. This house is like a swimming whale that can change the floor height according to the tide of the season.
Inspiration: The ocean and the fate of humanity have been linked from a very early age. As a higher life form on land and sea, human's longing for whale has always existed in the heart. The bionic form of the whale became the language of this chapel. A whale stranded on the coast of Iceland. A person can enter its body through a low fishtail and experience the perspective of a whale looking at the ocean. The waves and the inner voice meet here. In such a space, it is easier for humans to reflect on the neglect of environmental degradation.
Project Duration: This project was developed in Porto, Portugal, during a period of 3 months, from December 2019 to January 2020. The location planned for the project to be implemented was in Iceland.
Operation Flow: What is the most important thing about landscape architecture? The possible answer is respect and integration with the environment. The concept of expressing chapel in a bionic whale response to this topic. Tourism has caused irreversible damage to Iceland's natural environment. While watching the scenery, tourists can also feel the noble place of other life in such a narrow space. It will not be limited by the scale of the project and has profound and long-term significance.
Team Members: Zhang Jinyu