A structure by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Chapel on the Water places materials and styles reminiscent of urban vernacular architecture in a remote resort setting. With thick reinforced concrete walls, accented with glass and steel I-beems, the structure is materially reminiscent of a low parking tower. Surrounded on two sides by a concrete wall and by thick brush on the other two, the chapel is enclosed in a well defined space that is alien to the rolling hills and free-standing towers of Tomamu. Spread out before the building is a large manmade water feature that attempts to reconcile the differences between the modern looking structure and its natural setting.

Apart from the design being at odds with its surroundings, the design is also at odds with the function of the building. A pair of exposed ventilation ducts guards the entrance, reinforcing the resemblance of the structure to a parking tower. Once through the entryway, one does not find straightforward entrance typical to many chapels. The entrance to this structure is winding and convoluted. The path ascends and descends in a winding fashion to a point that lies on the opposite side of a wall adjacent to the entrance. One then descends down a broad concrete spiral staircase into the chapel. In many Christian structures, a descent such as this leads to a tomb or catacomb, much less an altar

Despite the conflict of the structure itself with its surroundings and implicit symbolism, there is still a sense of continuity between the structure and its explicit symbolism. The 'roof' of the structure is adorned with four steel I-beam crosses that face one another and form an enclosed space. There is one additional steel cross that stands in the water, creating an illusion of floating. These crosses are the unmistakable markings of a Christian structure. When considering the materials of the structure, one finds the structure is similar in many ways to the gothic-styled Christian cathedrals of Western Europe. These cathedrals are commonly built of stone with stained glass behind the altar. The chapel itself is built out of the modern equivalent of that stone with a similar modernized, motorized sliding glass centerpiece.

Ando's Chapel on the Water is the embodiment of conflict and resolution. Though considered an architectural masterpiece, it has been almost annex by the surrounding resorts. The program of the structure, fitting for a resort area, helps to resolve this conflict. While the materials and design do not at first seem to fit the program or the surroundings, closer examination reveals a sort of harmony between tradition and Art.