Motoyasu Muramatsu Architects

As a Protestant church, Tochigi Church has been active in the Tochigi region since 1930. In planning a new church building, it was necessary to re-examine worship practices and church architecture—which, over the long history of Christianity, had become formalised and were struggling to adapt to modern society—and to create a place of worship grounded in theological reflection, reflecting its true purpose.

The church building was intended to serve as a space widely open to people leading ordinary, everyday lives, and as a place where those called before God could reaffirm their faith in Him on an equal footing.
Every effort was made to avoid the building itself being sanctified or treated symbolically as an object of worship.
The building was designed to create a calm and evocative landscape for its surroundings, much like a private home.

The wall enveloping the entire building is cut away at its centre, where a cross rises from the earth, inviting people in and sending them out into society. Guided by the cross into the forecourt, one finds a fountain from which water flows ceaselessly, providing an opportunity to reflect on baptism and the Passion of Christ alongside the cross.
All the main rooms have square floor plans and are arranged in an interlocking configuration. The chapel is filled with light, illuminating and blessing each person gathered around the altar equally. The small chapel shares the same layout and serves as a venue for gatherings other than worship, as well as for children’s services.

In designing this church, the hope was to create a space where those who gather here can feel true to themselves and set their hearts free.