Architect Tadao Ando releases design for Guangdong auditorium

Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando's design for a new work at the city of Heyuan, South China's Guangdong province, was released on Saturday.

The auditorium, the Chapel of Song, will sit where two brooks meet, not far from mountains and forests. Able to hold 400 people at one time, it will be able to host various kinds of ceremonies, like weddings, concerts and poetry recitals, Ando's partner in China, Ma Weidong, said on the launch.

"I hope it's a place where people gather together and can feel they are alive," Ando said about his new design in a video, especially about his original intention of introducing natural elements into the space to emphasize the coexistence of people with their family, local society and nature.

The new design is expected to follow the success of the top architecture award winner’s iconic works, including the Church of the Light, Church on the Water and Church of the Wind in Japan, Ma said.