Chapel, Phase 1, 2nd Park, Mei-Lun Baptist Church (MLBC)
Church Architecture

Introduction

The predecessor of Mei-Lun Baptist Church was established as a mission house in 1961 and was formally founded as a church in 1978. Currently, in addition to the main sanctuary, there are five gospel centers in Hualien County, with a total congregation of approximately 2,000 members. The church's vision is to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Consequently, about 10 years ago, the church acquired the land for the second park, situated alongside the beautiful Nanbin Road in Ji'an, Hualien, an important scenic route recently revitalized by the government.

The first phase of the second park project includes the construction of a picturesque park and a second chapel with a capacity of accommodating 200 attendees, serving as a base for missionary endeavors and as an educational hub for training church leaders. This project concerns the second chapel within the first phase of the second park, with multiple responsibilities :  a management center for second park, a local gospel center, a missionary base, and an educational center. Accordingly, in terms of spatial planning, the first floor encompasses a hall, equipment room, administrative office, conference presentation room, and shared restroom facilities for multiple users within the park. The second floor houses the chapel as well as a large auditorium and a live broadcasting studio. The third floor includes a mother and infant room along with a control room, and the fourth floor features training classrooms.

The second park covers an area of 16,046 m², with the second sanctuary occupying an area of approximately 647 m², resulting in a total floor area of 1,060 m².

Design Concept

The owner's aspiration is to amalgamate a management center, chapel, live broadcasting studio, and teaching spaces within this modestly sized building while creating a local landmark, steering clear of the stereotypical appearance associated with a traditional church structure. Consequently, alongside meticulous spatial arrangements, the design team has introduced a unique concept: the church akin to a reef amidst the world's currents. Like a reef submerged in the sea, it might not be distinctly visible; however, when waves collide with the reef, it generates surrounding splashes, making the reef discernible. When the world's currents clash with the truths upheld by the church, it becomes visible through this collision. Therefore, the external design in this proposal is derived from the imagery of a reef, featuring geometric cuts on different inclinations, symbolizing the church's endurance in the present era. Furthermore, as the church often encounters battles while spreading the gospel, the exterior design also allegorically references a ship's bridge. Hence, this proposal presents a profoundly meaningful and distinctly different architectural design concept.