<p>Wranda – Wrandi Chapel is a ToAM project designed in collaboration with DDP, submitted in 2019. Through various sources, we also discovered that Rwanda is a country with a uniquely distinctive culture brimming with vibrant colors. Rwanda is not overwhelmed by the past […]</p>
Wranda – Wrandi Chapel is a project designed by ToAM and DDP that participated in 2019.
Through various sources, we came to recognize that Rwanda is a country with a remarkably unique culture and vibrant colors. Rwanda has not been lost in the past. On the contrary, the country has made an extraordinary recovery.
We call our project “Slot Light”.
In the film about the Rwandan hotel – Hotel Rwanda / 100 Dark Days, we witnessed the fear of Rwandan people each time they opened a door to look outside with anxiety and apprehension. But in our project, what lies beyond that door will be different: when Rwandan people look through the windows, they will see fresh colors of nature, the layered mountains—a place where peace will dwell in their hearts.
Through this design, we hope to bring a worthy destination to the people of Rukomo to visit and experience. There, people will find harmony between culture, nature, and humanity. The project will express local architectural identity while keeping pace with the evolution of world architecture.
Our design concept may resemble many other teams—utilizing Rukomo’s layered topography to propose a design solution, incorporating local materials or traditional Rwandan architecture for the “Rwanda Chapel” project. But we believe our way of seeking an authentic “local sanctuary” represents a different approach.
In the altar area of the chapel—where the Holy Cross stands on the wall—we have incorporated an element from Vietnam. It is the yin-yang bao motif—a pattern that appeared in Vietnam over 100 years ago and still remains quite prevalent in ancient architectural works. We wanted to create an ethereal backdrop for the Holy Cross—a symbol of faith.
The entire interior space of the chapel is arranged in concentric circles, expressing the spreading of peace as people enter the chapel, contemplate the beauty of nature, and listen to God’s voice from the deepest part of their hearts.