Vector Architects imagine the Seashore Chapel as an old boat drifting on the ocean a long time ago. The ocean receded through time and left an empty structure behind, which is still lying on the beach.

Space is thus divided vertically. The covered outdoor space naturally becomes a resting place for people on the beach. It is also a space connecting religious space to the mundane life. When the tide rises, this space will be submerged by water. At that moment, the imagery of the drifting boat emerges out of the chapel.
Photography: Chen Hao
The atmosphere on an upper floor is intensely divine and religious. The spatial experience begins on the 30 meters path leading to the chapel. When people gradually approach, the cue emerges indicating the suspending space on the other side through the 600mm wide gap in the middle of the grand staircases. With a glimpse of an ocean in distance, they walk up the stairs, go through the gate, and make a turn around the screen wall into the space with unblocking ocean view. The relationship between space and the ocean is closed due to the elevated position. The view is isolated from the beach and people, leaving the outstretched ocean the only view in sight. Photography: Chen Hao
There are limited openings on the chapel. The only large horizontal ocean-view window is on the east facade. Its 2.7m height helps to avoid the interruption of excessive light to the interior and also frames the view to the ocean. A few narrow gaps in betw...