Shanghai-based architecture firm Neri & Hu have erected a stunning chapel on the grounds of the Sangha hotel resort and wellness center in Suzhou, China. The chapel will provide the community’s residents and guests with a space for prayer, reflection, and meditation. The resort already boasts a spa, conference areas, and retail and educational facilities, but its owners hope that the chapel will endow the entire complex with a tranquil, more spiritual atmosphere.

The chapel serves as a focal point within the community, resting on a spot that overlooks the waterfront while remaining visible from the road below. The building’s most visually-striking feature is its perforated metal cladding, which gives it the appearance of a floating white cube that is at once serene and inviting yet still somewhat elusive. Surprisingly enough, this curtain is only an outer skin ? the chapel’s “actual” exterior is made of much sturdier brick and only allows light into the interior through a few random window openings. During the day, the box appears to reflect the light, but at night it assumes its symbolic duty and becomes a glowing beacon of faith.
To get to the chapel, visitors will have to navigate the maze of dark-grey brick walls around it. These walls, which were inspired by some of the resort’s other architectural elements, have been laid at different heights and angles to create a non-linear path into the building. The depth and relief create...