Tectonic character in Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light: Structure, space, and form

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47818/DRArch.2025.v6i3187

Keywords:

architectural space, Church of the Light, concept of tectonics, structural form, Tadao Ando

Abstract

Tadao Ando is one of the most important figures in modern architecture, combining minimalist design with traditional Japanese aesthetics, and is known for the use of light in spatial and spiritual contexts. The Church of the Light is one of his well-known projects, reflecting his architectural philosophy and design approach. This paper primarily examines the relationship between the structural form, architectural space, tectonic character, materiality, and detailing in the Church of the Light. Particularly, the paper analyzes the use of materials and the interplay between structure and architectural space in Ando's design. This analysis is based on the taxonomy proposed by Chad Schwartz in his book “Introducing Architectural Tectonics: Exploring the Intersection of Design and Construction”, which includes Place, Precedent, Space, Anatomy, Stereotomic, Tectonic, Representation, and Detail as the primary principles constituting the concept of tectonics. The analysis sections and the findings discuss how Ando’s tectonic sensibility transforms raw materials and the use of light into an experiential and spiritual architectural space. Additionally, the study offers a deeper understanding of Ando’s architectural approach by examining the Church of the Light.

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Author Biographies

  • Helin Bağcıvan, Dokuz Eylül University

    Helin Bağcıvan is currently a graduate student at M.Sc. in Architectural Design of Dokuz Eylül University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences. She received her BArch degree in Architecture from Izmir Democracy University. Her research area is kinetic architecture and kinetic performance spaces.

  • Yenal Akgün, Dokuz Eylül University

    Yenal Akgün graduated from the Department of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University in 2000. After working on several national and international design projects between 2000 and 2002, he began working for the İzmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) in 2002 as a research assistant. In 2004, he received his MSc degree from IZTECH. In 2006, he continued his academic studies at the University of Stuttgart, Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK), with a Ph.D. grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and completed his Ph.D. in 2010. In December 2017, he received the title of Associate Professor from the Higher Education Council of Turkey (YOK) in the field of “Construction and Construction Technologies / Systems in Architecture”. Between 2017 and 2019, he worked as a full-time architect at Izmir Konak Municipality Department of Urban Design and taught at Yaşar University Department of Architecture as a part-time lecturer. Between September 2017 and May 2023, he worked as a full-time associate professor at the Yaşar University Department of Architecture. Since May 2023, he has been a full professor at the Department of Architecture, Dokuz Eylül University. Yenal Akgün has received numerous awards in national architecture competitions and has conducted numerous workshops, both national and international, at several universities.

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Published

2025-12-24

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Helin Bağcıvan, Yenal Akgün

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Tectonic character in Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light: Structure, space, and form. (2025). Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning, 6(3), 632-647. https://doi.org/10.47818/DRArch.2025.v6i3187

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