“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

– John 1: 3-5

it is all about about Light…:

The concept of the design of the Rhenish Church in Yuen Long was driven by first and foremost, out of the respect of and observation on the Power and Drama of Light; a God-created phenomena.

The overall massing of the church is oriented in the East-West axis to maximize the light drama to be experienced inside the Sanctuary. Morning light from the east passes through the narrow vertical slot window. Together with a horizontal wooden log placed in front they form the Holy Cross. The log is lit from behind thus making the Cross shine in darkness. In late afternoon, lights filter through the stained-glass openings on the west wall to form a starry pattern. The West wall, which is also the highest point of the church, functions as the “Bell Tower.” The Bell is from the original church which had been in used since the late 50s. With this new orientation and siting of the church, it also enlarges the possibility of using the open space for various sporting and eatery activities.

The building is of the three-storey structure. The first two floors’ planning layout aims to fulfill all the daily functional and social activities of the church. These two floors are cladded with granite to anchor the church to the ground symbolically. It also echos the surrounding built fabrics and provides a stark contrast to the white stucco surfaces which defines the most sacred place of the project, the Sanctuary.

One of the most dramatic features of the church is its vaulted roof. The triangulation evokes the forming of Trinity which points towards the Cross to the east side. The vaulted ceiling acts as a giant light reflector to give ambient reflected light inside the Sanctuary. The slope and drainage of the roof allow the rainwater to be collected and redirected towards the scupper above slot window, forming a metaphysical connection between Nature, Light and the worshippers’ Spirits.