Making the Forest of Oath for the celebration of marriages 

The intricate space frame truss work is the soul of the Agri Plateau Resort’s wedding chapel in Nagasaki, Japan. Made of timber and reinforced with steel rods, the arboreal pillars support the chapel’s roof and pendentive dome, but they also evoke the pointed arches and rib vaults of the Oura Church, Nagasaki’s Roman Catholic Basilica, which is believed to be Japan’s oldest. There are three layers of pillars in the Agri-Chapel. The bottom layer consists of four pillars, and each of which branches out to form eight diagonal frames. The geometric truss work, nicknamed “the Forest of Oath,” under which wedding vows are made and rings are exchanged, appears to be a work of nature that could only be perfected by a divine hand. Designed by the team of Japan’s Momoeda Yu Architecture Office, this mesmerizing space gives many couples many memorable moments to look back to.

Material

Wood

Project name

Agri-Chapel, Japan (2016)

Company

Yu Momoeda Architecture Office

Origin of company

Japan