Mountain Church of Julong / INUCE • Dirk U. Moench

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Background.Julong is a new town off the 7-million-city ofQuanzhou. Since opening its population has grown, attracting people from the entire country. Today, it is home to a minority of Protestants. For years they met in a shop front. With services packed, they decided to build a church for 1000 attendees. Nestled at the foot of a green mountain, the site allows to create a landmark for the entire town.Functionality + Iconicity.The church is an ark – floating above the world, anchored in the foundation of faith – an ancient idea. Moved by the imagery, alert of the task, our solution comprises two parts: The lower portion, clad in granite, resembles a terraced rock. It enables flexible subdivision, catering to secular needs. Atop rests the nave, adorned with GRC panels, evoking an abstracted ark. Its form steers clear of literality and gives a nuanced representation of the narrative.Archetypal Church.Aware of the ecumenical dilemma we searched for archetypal motifs as the guiding light for architectural decisions. After deep thought an elder quoted: “You are Peter, I will build my church on this rock.” His wife added: “In Julong we are all foreign. We wish to be an ark for arrivers, their haven.”Performativity + liturgy.The design elicits physical and spiritual engagement. Like a pilgrimage, believers ascend the terraces for worship. At the top they are embraced by Paradise – a medieval element demarcating a church´s asylum; it prepares for the entry into the belly of the ark. Contrary to what the metaphor suggests, the sanctuary is not unworldly: upon entering, one experiences complete exposure to the mountain. Creation becomes part of the liturgy, echoing the archetypal scene of the congregation before all schism: Christ´s Sermon on the Mount.Complex expectations.Composed of believers from different denominations the young congregation was experiencing uncertainty with regards to liturgical and symbolic traditions. The new sanctuary was hoped to bridge gaps and establish unity. In a broader sense, the congregation wished to create an inclusive symbol for a new beginning – for in this new city both Christians and non-Christians share the experience of being far from home and having to establish new bonds. The program was comprised of the sanctuary and of a long list of secular community spaces.