The Closest Church
Gimpo, a district to the west of Seoul, is a very newly established settlement.
Well-structured roads and districts resemble a checkerboard that has not yet been used. It is ‘virgin territory’ where people are only just beginning to move and settle down into communities. Over time, the district will establish its own identity, as ordinary lives play out, and different urban cultures evolve and engage with the area.
The Closest Church sits on a corner site on Unyang-dong, Gimpo. Words like corner, edge and vertex connote the existence of more than one line or surface: the church building has a façade which is divided into two parts, which conflict with each other at the vertex of the site. One part is made of a solid yet fragmented concrete, creating a dynamic relationship with neighboring apartment residents, and the other is a transparent glass that opens views outwards to the vast park and inwards to the church’s worship services.
The chapel, structured with bleachers for seating, is designed to increase the capacity of the space within a compact site. Small rooms are positioned behind the inclined surface of the bleachers and on the top section so that the church can make the best use of its space.
In particular, the outside stairs, which connect the ground to the rooftop, work as an important element visually defining the exterior of church, and – thanks to the constant movement provided by visitors to the building – make the church’s architectural statement more dynamic. The rooftop space, which can host outdoor worship services, is open to the church community as well as to locals.
The Closest Church is a place of worship, a cultural venue and a piece of public architecture for the local residents inhabiting the surrounding apartments. The church’s main symbol – the cross – is not on the roof but integrated into the wall of the building, proclaiming its message with a humble voice. Here, sublimity dwells in intimacy, not in hierarchy. In an area increasingly defined by commercialism, the resonance of a moving story stirs even more strongly: the symbol of the cross, which descends to the earth, casts its shadow like a shade-giving tree, sharing a story of life with people on the street.
Project: The closest church / Location: 1300-13, Unyang-dong, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea / Architect: IDMM Architects (Heesoo Kwak) / Construction: YEJANG / Structural engineer: S.D.M Partners / Electric engineer: Doul Eng. / Mechanical engineer: CNI Eng. / Use: church / Site area: 929.3m² / Bldg. area: 464.43m² / Gross floor area: 2,328.67m² / Height: 29.9m / Bldg. coverage ratio: 49.97% / Gross floor ratio: 178.93% / Bldg. scale: one story below ground, seven stories above ground / Structure: RC / Exterior finishing: exposed concrete / Design period: 2013.4~2013.10 / Construction period: 2013.10~2015.3 / Completion: 2015.3 / Photograph: ⓒKyungsub Shin (courtesy of the architect)
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