Sound of Wind chapel is an independent structure adjoining the main Setre Hotel building, located by the shore of Lake Biwa.

Nature is a divine mystery beyond human power and understanding, the strong presence of which, beside Lake Biwa, compelled the creation of a design to honor it; the chapel becomes an artifact for “catching” nature. As a result, the building shape acts as a musical instrument that draws on winds from the lake and turns them into sounds; through the use of an Aeolian harp. A tribute to the mythical Greek God of Wind, Aeolus. A gentle space that echoes the lake sounds, a building instrument that changes its tone depending on the wind speed.

In contemporary society, full of rationality, Architecture has the possibility of creating a story that awakens human sensitivity, reconnecting with our own selves with the present moment and location. The combination of solar energy in the mountain ranges affecting the wind fl ow over the lake shore is manifested in this instrument. It is as if the God of wind smiled while playing the Sound of Wind.

Thanks to the combination of an aesthetic feeling and scientific design, this place provides visitors with a sensory experience. When attending a ceremony in the chapel, visitors can appreciate nature in its full extent. The building is, musical architecture that sings with the fl ow of nature.

Inside the chapel a series of 0.72 mm SUS wires are placed; when the air flows over them, they resonate similar to the strings of a harp, producing a beautiful sound. The speed of wind can be altered by a set of apertures at the east and west side of the building. These apertures can be operated, altering the tone of the sounds. 

A comprehensive analysis of the exterior shape, the interior space, as well as the direction, speed and frequency of winds was undertaken in the development of the project. Three hundred different computational fluid dynamic simulations were analyzed to refine the building shape, and several mock-ups were built in order to assess the wind fl ow inside the space. After this iterative design process, and once the basic shape had settled, a 1:10 scale mock-up was tested both in a wind tunnel and on the project site. The whole process being carried out in close collaboration with sound artisans, and specialists in the field of wind music instruments.