Coast Whale Chapèla by Jinyu Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award d'Aur in Arquitectura Competition Category.

AurArquitectura· 2020

Coast Whale Chapèla

by Jinyu Zhang

Client: Zhang Jinyu

A' Design Award d'Aur Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner
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The Design

About Coast Whale Chapèla

La forma bionica de la balena es devengut lo lengatge d'aquesta chapèla. Una balena eschoada sus la còsta d'Islàndia. Una persona pòt entrar dins son còs per una coa de peis bassa e experimentar la perspectiva d'una balena que regarda l'ocean, ont es mai aisit pels umans de reflectir sus la neglijéncia de la degradacion ambientala. L'estructura de supòrt tomba sus la plaja per assegurar un damatge minimal a l'environament natural. De materials naturals e ecologics fan d'aqueste projècte una destinacion toristica qu'apèla a la proteccion de l'environament.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Aur

Coast Whale Chapèla a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award d'Aur, una reconeissença immensament prestigiosa acordada a de designs de primièra qualitat, meravilhoses e excellents. Los ganhaires de l'Aur son de creacions extrèmament innovantas, visionàrias e esbleugissentas, que reflectisson lo prodigi, la sabença e la proeça de lors designers. S'espèra que Coast Whale Chapèla siá una invencion fòrça lausada, que dintra de tendéncias e monumentala, que provesís un valor sens precedent. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award d'Aur es un projècte espectaclós e respectat, que fa un grand ben e fa avançar las frontièras de l'art, de la sciéncia, del design e de la tecnologia. Coast Whale Chapèla crea de sentiments intensos de desirs, evòca la passion, encoratja la creativitat e fascina.

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