CORNERSTONE ORCHARD AUDITORIUM

Cornerstone Orchard Auditorium transforms a former nightclub within a mall into a contemporary auditorium designed primarily for Christian services. The project reimagines the auditorium as a spatial expression of Ruach — the breath of life from God.

The auditorium is composed with clarity and restraint, drawing from the symmetry, rhythm and proportion of traditional church vaults. From the entrance to the stage, a continuous ribbed ceiling wraps the seating areas, its flowing form evoking the movement of breath. This architectural gesture guides both circulation and perception, drawing visitors inward while establishing a focus, sacred reverence and collective gathering.

Although visually complex, the ceiling is constructed from three modular arched shapes which facilitates simpler construction. The flowing form conceals the technical requirements of auditoriums. Catwalks, lighting rigs, air-conditioning ducts and structural trusses are hidden within the residual spaces between the arches, existing walls and ceiling slab. Where arches overlap, lighting and air vents are discreetly integrated, allowing illumination and ventilation to emerge softly from within the architecture itself. As a result, the arches remain visually uncluttered, preserving the purity and continuity of the spatial gesture.

Materiality further reinforces the concept. The arches are wrapped in acoustically transparent plaster in a light off-white tone, selected to receive and reflect the concealed lighting. White oak timber-lined walls echo the rhythm of the vaulted ceiling, bringing warmth to the auditorium while improving acoustic performance and physical protection to the lower portions of the arches. In contrast, the stage and backdrop are expressed as a darker volume, anchoring the hall and allowing black audio equipment, cables and technical elements to visually recede, reducing distraction during services.

As the screen plays a central role in contemporary church services, the stage backdrop was conceived as an expansive “all-screen” surface. Extending beyond the narrow stage to the left and right, it gives the stage greater visual presence and overcomes the spatial limitations of the existing site condition.