It looks like a ‘strange prehistoric boulder’ but this monolithic structure in China’s Jinshanling, near remnants of the Great Wall, is an open-air concert hall.

The cave-like Chapel of Sound, designed by Open Architecture, is made of slabs of concrete that echo the surrounding rocky terrain with their rippling form. The practice says its craggy appearance is ‘as if a strange and prehistoric boulder had fallen there long ago.’

Openings at the top of the concert hall bring in glimpses of the sky above, as well as sounds of the nature that fills the valley it sits in. Although primarily designed to host musical performances, Open Architecture says the empty building channels the sound of rainwater, gentle breezes, and insects chirping nearby – creating an ‘ever-changing symphony’ of nature.

Located north of Beijing, the chapel offers views over the nearby forests as well as ruins of the Great Wall of China.

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