Tianyou

Unbuilt

Originally conceived as a wedding chapel, the Tianyou Pavilion was inspired by the Thorncrown Chapel by E. Fay Jones. Both buildings are exemplified by the intersection of delicate structural members to create an ethereal shelter. While the curved steel beams weave together at the apex,
a sense of openness and transparency is preserved at its base. The glue-laminated arches on the interior provide a visual rhythm throughout the space. Finally, at the chapel facade, threads of string in tension create a gestural separation and highlights the interplay of light and material.
Not only did the themes of infinity, symmetry, and wedding symbology fuel design development, but parametric modeling was used as a tool to visualize the complex curvature and explore an aesthetically dynamic structural solution. The computer generated model allowed for a precise translation of each component for fabricators to execute the design.