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Helix Chapel, Kaipara, New Zealand
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Helix Chapel

Client
Wren & Ashcombe
Location
Kaipara, New Zealand
Year
2025
Typology
Cultural
The brief

A ribbed shell mirrored in still water, so the building reads twice.

The reflection is the design. We spent longer on the water surface than on the shell — solving for a wind speed low enough to mirror cleanly but high enough to still look like a real lake.

The ribs are parametric but hand-corrected: we broke the sequence in four places so the eye has something to catch. Perfection reads as CGI. Slight error reads as built.

Helix Chapel — Mirror frame, dawn
01Mirror frame, dawn
Helix Chapel — Rib detail, raking light
02Rib detail, raking light
Specification
Typology
Chapel / retreat
Area
340 m²
Status
Consented
Engine
Corona 12 / ACES
Scope delivered
  • 6 exterior stills
  • Interior set
  • Material studies
  • Competition boards
Helix Chapel — Nave looking east

03 — Nave looking east