Strait is the Gate
Conservation and Renewal of a Church Ruin
2020
Chiesa Diruta is a Catholic church ruin in the province of Matera, southern Italy. It was begun in the 15th century and was later destroyed by fire and natural disasters.
This design proposes a spatial narrative grounded in our understanding of the relationship between the religious and the secular. Inspired by André Gide’s novel Strait Is the Gate, the space is treated as part of the story—its architectural setting becoming a strand of the narrative.
Image Source: https://www.barinedita.it/
Chiesa Diruta
What remains of Chiesa Diruta are the massive walls and the bases of the former domes. The walls are load-bearing masonry of brick and stone, finished with lime plaster.
Dreaming of Strait Is the Gate
Working with Jiaxing Yun, we brought the characters and storyline of André Gide's Strait Is the Gate onto a stage set against this architectural design, creating a new interpretation.
Site Plan
The ruins sit right by the town’s main road and command an open view to the southwest.
Spatial Prototypes
This section shows how the specified sensory requirements are mapped onto a distinctive spatial design, and ultimately how they are connected and combined.
Streamline Design
In this project, all primary visitor routes converge on the concert hall. Visitors choose their paths according to their curiosity, interests, and access needs. Along the way, they approach different experiences from different directions—for example, vistas of nature, scenes of everyday life, and light after darkness.
Proposed Roof Plan
I do not intend to seal the originally open ruin, for the true sky, in my view, surpasses the sky frescoed on any ecclesiastical vault. As the image above suggests, daylight, moving air, and rain ought to be integral to the renewed spatial experience.
"A New Spiritual Landmark"
Centuries after it vanished, a new "roof" rises over what the town once called its nearest touch to heaven. It is no longer austere—now it is filled with the cheerful, worldly bustle of human life.
Music Hall
It’s like a scaled-down Guggenheim in New York—its circular stage embraces every kind of art, whether a cello quartet or flamenco.
Other Works
Strait is the Gate
The Hierarchical World of Time
River | Humans
Naturally Aspirated
長春一九四八
Lignin & Lining
Masquerade Ball
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