Brilio.net/en - Religion, built with a gender twist. Thats what the newly built church in Ocean View Park, a Budai township in Taiwan, seems to emulate. In what looks like Alice in Wonderland met Cinderella for a cup of tea, the church is actually a 55feet tall and 36feet wide glass shoe-shaped building. Made up of 320 light blue tinted glass panels, the structure was intended to attract more female worshipers. Because, really what else would attract your average woman to seek spiritual guidance more than a glass slipper representing gender normative commercialism?
The church will not be used for regular services but will rather serve as a wedding location and pre-wedding shoots. In our planning, we want to make it a blissful, romantic avenue, stated Pan Tsuei-ping, the administrations recreational section manager to the BBC.
However the alleged origins of the design arent so romantic after all. It has been said that the shoe-shaped church was inspired by a rather tragic story. According to officials in the 1960s, a 24-year old woman with the surname Wang got both of her legs amputated due to Blackfoot disease. This lead her husband-to-be to leave her, thereby cancelling the wedding. She remained unmarried for the rest of her life and spent her remaining solitary years in a church.
Not quite the fairytale romance that might attract brides-to-be. But in case tis is an issue, the church has added even more small details in the in the interior to appeal to women. According to officials the church will offer over 100 female oriented features, such as chairs for lovers, maple leaves, biscuits and cakes.
The glittering building took two months to make and cost $686,000. It is set to open in time for Chinese New Years, on February 8th, and will be open most definitely be open in time for lovers to take selfies on Valentines Day.
Social media didnt seem too fond of the gender based religious advertising. The global backlash was heated on the not so humble place of worship.
Romantic Glass "High Heel" #Church Becomes a Hit before Opening In #Taiwan pic.twitter.com/N9RGxzPs1d
People's Daily,China (@PDChina) January 9, 2016
This might just be the most patronising thing I've ever read. https://t.co/xAhyDWMpNU via @marieclaireuk
Andrea Thompson (@andreacanwrite) January 15, 2016
@yongsagisa you were quoted in an article by @NPR https://t.co/MW4G6dVyoN
Recite News (@ReciteNews) January 15, 2016
Sexist or not, the structure is undeniably a modern marvel of architecture.
(Reported by Ivana Lucic)
(brl/tis)
