JA Curve Church

JA Curve Church 

Zip Partners Architecture

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

ARCHITECTS
ZIP Partners Architecture

CATEGORY
Churches

LOCATION
Jeju-si, South Korea

AREA
1800.0 m²

YEAR
2014

PHOTOGRAPHS
Choi Hyuk-jae

DESIGN TEAM
Im Sung-pil, Choi Min-wook

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
G-One Structural ENG

MECHANICAL CONSULTANT
De-Tech Engineering

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

JA Curve Church is located in Jeju Island, which is one of the most beautiful islands in South Korea.

The site is on the outskirts of Jeju Island and is surrounded by dense pine groves along with citrus groves.

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae
JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

Natural beauty scenery and the convenient transportation of the location make the site a perfect place for the church.

The concept is to introduce an ingenious architecture that would settle in harmoniously with the surrounding nature.

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae
JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

It is designed with a simple form that would accommodate various religious programs. 1st floor consists of an office space, kitchen facility, and a conference room for group gatherings.

The outdoor stairs leads to a miniature garden then into a lobby and the main chapel, which are all located on the 2nd floor. Furthermore, it is inherent for religious sanctuaries to be applied with an austere form.

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae
JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

A change in scale can be experienced by transitioning from the outside (lowest) to the God’s space (highest) as the ceiling height of the lobby gradually increases from 2.4m to 9.5m.

Also the delicacy in the continuous ceiling material contributes to a comfortable prayer space. As the curved ceiling reaches the highest peak, the natural light shines into the worshiping space while the curvature hides into the sky.

JA Curve Church
Rendering 3
JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae

Jeju Island is a volcanic island, which the land chiefly consists of basalt and lava. The lifestyle and the perspective of the people have been shaped in relation to basalt.

Therefore, basalt has been used for the foundation and the flooring material of the sanctuary. The application of white color on the exterior façade accentuates its curved form from the surrounding nature. Simple curvature has been emphasized with its hue—white.

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae
JA Curve Church
Rendering 1

The curved façade reveals the metaphor of the nature of Jeju Island. The smooth curves on the mountains in Jeju derived from the volcanic activities.

The simple man-made curved form resembles the small mountains—Oreum—which can be found throughout the island.

JA Curve Church
© Choi Hyuk-jae


JA Curve Church
Diagram 1
JA Curve Church
Diagram 2
JA Curve Church
Diagram 3


JA Curve Church
Model 1
JA Curve Church
Model 2
JA Curve Church
Rendering 2


JA Curve Church
Floor Plan 1
JA Curve Church
Floor Plan 2
JA Curve Church
Floor Plan 3


JA Curve Church
Section 1
JA Curve Church
Section 2


JA Curve Church
Elevation 1
JA Curve Church
Elevation 2
JA Curve Church
Elevation 3