THIS CHAPEL HAS been designed in the shape of a harp. When the wind blows at different speeds, it plays different notes. The chapel, appropriately named Sound of Wind, is located on Lake Biwa in Japan, near Moriyama City.
The practice Ryuichi Ashizawa Architects used larch and plywood to create the right shapes, scents, sounds and feel.
The chapel is inspired by an Aeolian harp from Greek mythology, a natural space that plays sound as the wind passes through it. Long steel strings are stretched across the vaulted ceiling in the chapel.
The ceiling and internal walls are made from thin 2.5 mm plywood, which amplifies the resonance when the wind moves across the strings. All this accentuates the acoustic experience. The upper part of the glass wall can be angled to let more or less wind in, which affects the sound.
The chapel belongs to the nearby Setre Marina hotel, also designed by Ryuichi Ashizawa. The architects were driven by a vision of people visiting the area and engaging with the sounds, scents and materials that are specific to Moriyama City and the region.«