Catholic Suzuka Church

Catholic
Suzuka
Church

This is the rebuilding of a Catholic church in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. The number of believers of various nationalities working in automobile-related factories increased, and as the church expanded, it needed to become a symbolic place for a new community. Therefore, I proposed that the chapel, congregation hall, and parsonage, which are normally built separately, should be combined into one and wrapped with a large, smoothly rising roof, and at the same time, the entire building should be raised to secure the parking lot necessary for a car society.Since the site is deep and surrounded by large buildings on the main road, we decided to create a step on the roof every 5m with the parking lot as a module, and let in light and ventilation from the high side lights. Gradually raising the ceiling from the parsonage at the south end to the congregation hall and then to the chapel, the light comes mainly from the heat-efficient south side. The cathedral has a symmetrical house-shaped cross-section that expresses tranquility, but in other parts, a wing was set up where the ceiling height was needed the most, and the house shape was shifted from the north to the south of the building. As a result, instead of a façade with a strong front, we thought about a lively and moving roof shape that allows you to feel the church from 360 degrees around it, such as the road, the gap between neighboring houses, and the top of a large building.In addition, since most of the believers come by private car, the parking lot is not isolated, but rather a starting point for church activities like a plaza. The chapel, the hall for congregational activities, and the entrance lobby are connected to the parking lot by a wide, gentle staircase, and are used together for large-scale masses, weddings, and burials. The sub-lobby facing the language-specific farewell party room, the small chapel, and the corridor to the priest’s house is connected to the side entrance in the middle of the parking lot by an EV and stairs. The south side of the pilotis will be an open space where you can have a barbecue, and the western open space will be a garden of the statue of Mary of Lourdes, which has been handed down to the Suzuka Church. And I think that I could have designed a modern church where the roofs that make the church appeal to the roadside overlap with each other in the cross-sectional direction.