Shinkwang Presbyterian Church
lksan, South KoreaProject Type: New Construction
Seat Count: 2,500
Opening: 2008
Architect: Beck
AD Scope: Room Design, Acoustics, Audio,
Video, Lighting, Stage Rigging
Shinkwang was established in 1946 and has grown to be one the largest Presbyterian churches in Korea. With a membership of over 5,000, they are playing a crucial role in spreading the Gospel in Korea and North East Asia. In order to accommodate their rapid growth, Shinkwang decided to construct a new church building.
They wanted their new worship center to have more of an American style, so AD and an American architect were hired to create an American design that still retained elements of a traditional Korean church, with wood and traditional flooring in many of the children’s rooms. Korean churches also operate differently from their American counterparts requiring operational needs had to be taken into consideration.
The new worship center includes a very unique, carved, sloped and tapering balcony. Work for the balcony had to be done in 3-D to plan the correct seating locations and the proper angles for speakers coverage of the balcony.
The pastor desired that the choir be seated in the congregation during the teaching portion of the service, creating another design challenge in designing a way for the choir to quickly egress from the choir loft.
