CONSTRUCTING [ME]MORY
1
CONSTRUCTING [ME]MORY KATHERYN HAAS WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SAM FOX SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND VISUAL ARTS DESIGN THINKING_SPRING 2016 JAN ULMER_ALEJANDRA CORTES
con ents
c o nstructi ng m e m o ry th ro u g h s a c re d s p a c e
02
premise
through architecture through community through elements
66
site
through demographics through adjacencies
program
102
through need
through ritual through nature
bibliography
124 5
prem i se
01 through architecture through memory
through elements
( re ) d e f i n i n g t h e s ac red s pac e
fo r the twe n ty-first ce n t u ry a n d b e y o n d Throughout the course of human history, sacred space has been manifested through built form in that of the religious buildingthe cathedral,the synagogue, the temple, the mosque, the monastery.
But what really defines a space as sacred? Is it the building in it’s affiliation to certain religion? Or can it be a certain spiritual experience of “place”, that can help trigger important memories, provoke questions, or inspire one’s thoughts or senses? Is it the act of coming together, uniting people under a collective purpose, or is it the architecture itself as the medium for which this harmony and transcendence is attained through space.
It is important to understand sacred architecture as it once was--the religion and the congegration, and its influence on the world throughout history. It is also important to explore how the world its changing, in its intentions and demographics, where needs are not drivered for a religious purpose but a more secular one, and how such space must adapt to a more complex, interwoven and cultural world. It is not to say that sacred architecture in the form of religious buildings have no statute in the present day, but it is within the power of the architect to redefine the public’s definition and conception of sacred, transcendental, or spiritual space in a more secular world.
7
prem i se
01 through architecture
“Architecture is not only about domesticating space, it is also a deep defence against the terror of time. The language of beauty is essentially the language of timeless reality� -Karsten Harries
9
from the dictionary
sa·cred · connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration · religious rather than secular · (of writing or text) embodying the laws or doctrines of a religion
sacred architecture · also known as religious architecture · concerned with the design and construction of places of worship and/or sacred or intentional space
10
from google image search
11
from the dictionary
sec路u路lar 路 denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
secular architecture 路 The term is used in fine arts and the cultural science, for example in the history of architecture, to define the secular buildings and its usage from each other, and to standardardise. The antonym of "secular building" is the sacred architecture, which clerical or religious purpose is reserved.
12
from google image search
13
Why do our sacred spaces, in a traditional religious sense, feel more grand, & hold more significance
14
than secular buildings held for purpose unrelated to deities?
15
Churches, synagogues, mosques, cathedrals, monasteries, temples, and stupas primarily exist because the convictions of that membership built them. These places symbolize strong proud traditions and hold idealistic hopes of each congegration. Throughout history we have built our sacred places to God, to saints and mystics, to all we deem Holy. It is within these shells of faith that we then live beyond our bodies through time and space.
16
“When one enters a temple, one enters marked off space...in which, at least in principle,nothing is accidental; everything, at least potentially demands attention. The temple serves as a focusing lens, establishing the possibility of significance by directing attention, by requiring the perception of difference. Within the temple, the ordinary becomes significant, becomes “sacred” simply by being there. A ritual object or action becomes sacred by having attention focused on it in a highly marked way” -Jonathon Z. Smith
17
Historically... religious
civic
public buildings
18
St. Peter’s Basillica Rome
Piazza Camplidoglio Rome
19
Shift in paradigm sacred
civic
public buildings
Today, if we eliminate the word “religious� from the definition of sacred, and remove religious elements or symbols from sacred architecture, can we begin to merge the once serparated spectrums of the public realm and redefine what we consider sacred space?
20
sacred
civic
public buildings
21
Not all sacredness needs to be institiutionally defined (i.e. religious) or (spiritual) bound to the traditional sense of the word (God centered contemplation or worshipping)
How can the word “sacred� be pursued without religion? & How can that be applied to architecture?
22
aud
com mu nity
ac tio ns
e tin rou
he alt
worship
waate ter
pla ce
space
shel sh e teer
sa
er y a pr
ttaast stteesi sile lenc lenc le n e
liligh ghht
nc tua
ry
geom ge o et om etry ry
t en vem mo
food
presen ce
h
self
memory
ou tre ach
individual
pe ac e
ce i en
SACRED
sm mel ell
aabs ab b en ennsse ens
colo co lorr daarkk
mate teriririal te ial re ma natuure
23
prem i se
01 through memory
“The architecture we remember is that which never consoles or comforts us.� -Peter E isen m an
25
me·mor·y · the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences.
col·lec·tive me·mor·y · a memory or memories shared or recollected by a group, as a community or culture.
26
27
Why do we go to churches?
As humans, we have certain intrinsic speculations. In the past, religion helped to answer some of these inquiries. They taught us morals, they taught us to believe in something higher than ourselves. They taught us to be one as a community, under common purpose--for Christians Jesus said “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them� (Mattew 18:20) And therefore, sacred space became a human construct. We build for ourselves, we build to make us human. We create places to meet the divine and form a collective memory.
28
Who W ho aare re w we? e? W What hat aare re w wee ddoing oing hhere? ere?
where w here aare re w wee ggoing? oing?
What W hat ddoo I bbelieve elieve iin? n? How Ho ow ddid id we we gget et hhere? ere?
29
Memory as it pertains to religion
30
pilgrimage to Mecca
sermon
people join together to create a collective memory pertaining to the common purpose of their religion. individual memory is associated with the collective.
31
Memory as it pertains to place
32
The Parthenon
The Louvre
the collective memory created by remembering places as they exist. individual memory stimulated by the ephemeral qualities of the time visitied: a bird flying over head, construction scaffolding, street performers nearby
33
Memory as it pertrains to community
34
growing food as a community
homeless receiving food
collective memory is created by outreach to the community. individual memory attained from the act of delivering help or the need to receive it.
35
In the United States, one in every five people has no affiliation to a particular religion. This is not to say this that demographic has no sense of spirituality.
36
01
What spaces cater to this demographic? Where does one go to contemplate? Heal? Interact with community? Construct memory?
? ?
?
37
Typology: Places that construct memory Existing-The Sacred
These spaces are ultimately built to deify ourselves. The building of these spaces is a human act, not a divine one. Into them we pour our hopes, our dreams, fears and wishes and seek to impress a creator with our own creations. Memory is collective, shared, and purposeful.
38
39
Typology: Places that construct memory Existing-The “Non� Sacred
These spaces are built for cultural implications. In a secular age, these space provoke memory, these places may or may not be built for the deliverance of users to a transcendental state, but to support services, activities, and realizations that deliver a transcending cause. Individual or collective memory is attained through its pertinence to time and place.
40
4
41
Typology: Places that construct memory Proposed-The Secular Sacred
Can we construct places that look, feel, and invoke our memories like a church but abstain it from religion? Can this space exercise and expand a persons mind via a “religion of culture?� Can we invite all religions, or those with no religion to construct and share memories in spaces that are now deemed sacred?
42
43
prem i se
01 through elements
“To me, buildings can have a beautiful silence that I associate with attributes such as composure, self-evidence, durability, presence, and integrity, and with warmth and sensuousness as well; a building that is being itself, being a building, not representing anything, just being� -Peter Zu m th o r
45
Defining the makers of sacred space
The architectural, the archetypal, the atmospheric-Far from avoiding the charged issues of subjectivity, culture and intangibility, the elements that dwell in symbol and ritual are interdependent in which the holy gets fixed and experienced through buildings, landscapes, and urban forms, and not just in institutionally defined religious or sacred places. Every aspect, every detail is deliberate and adds depth and dimension to a sacred space. Since sacredness is elusive, elements act a symbols that transform ordinary into sacred. We look for these details that transport us to another realm.
46
BETWEEN TWO CATHEDRALS
47
Decerning the elements A tale of two “chapels” The two projects share almost identical attributes.A leaf shaped plan with light enterring only from the top. Both share a connection to nature, the Swiss Alps on the top and the sea in Finland on the bottom. The two possess high qualities of material, and a careful admiration to simplicity. Peter Zumthor’s Sumvtig chapel on the top two images show the sacredness of a place in it’s relationship to religion. Travis Price Architect’s and a student team created Kalevalakehto in Finland. the goal of the Spirit of Place/Spirit of Design program is to explore the design and construction of architectural forms that successfully respond to natural and cultural settings in a contemporary language of design.
48
Sumvtig chapel
Kalevalakehto
49
Decerning the elements
When the religious elements from a sacred space are removed, does it become any less sacred? Can we replace the pews with free moving objects for sitting? Can we let the users define where they would situate themselves within the space? Can we replace the holy water and cross with something like a piece of fruit? Will the space itself be less sacred because of it?
50
Kammpi Chapel of Silence
51
the path
the path represents the journey from initiation to transformation. It acts as a guide, a way to gain knowledge and awaken consciousness
an aisle, a nave leads to an alter
52
the path is ambiguous, user defined for personal memory
ST. HENRY’S ECUMENICAL ART CHAPEL
MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE
53
the place
the place is the destination, the culmination of the journey. The physical enclosure creates the context for the experience, the meanings communicated by the elements that form the space help to identify with the place.
an alter, or other religious symbol acts as the definer of space
54
the act of being within the space itself is left to one’s own understanding
KAMPPI CHAPEL OF SILENCE
LIGHT IS TIME ART EXHIBIT
55
56
archetype
earth, air, fire, water- the four primary elements. They permeate through most cultures, these elements are architecturally embraced in many ways, from simple gestures to careful manipulation of light, path, and volume.
the connection is visual, an ode to something greater beyond this world
56
the connection becomes tactile and tangible, of this Earth
CHURCH UNDER THE ROCK
RAIN ROOM AT MOMA
57
geometry
the square, the circle, the triangle have long found their way into the design of sacred space. the pure geometric forms indicate the symbolic relationship to the perfect and the imperfect, the physical world and the spiritual world.
geometry is pure, unaltered retained in perfection
58
geometry can remain pure but understood in its obscurity
THE PANTHEON
YALE ART MUSEUM
59
atmospheric ambiguities
silence/noise, darkness/light, emptiness/profusion, humility/monumentality- the ephemeral qualities that change with the time of day, the movement of people, the activities that occur and subside. The delicate balance between these elements contribute to the mystery and complexity of an experience. They speak to move our minds, our consciousness, to other places.
atmospheric qualities are understood in clarity
60
ambiguities are a mystery, needing to bbe di discoveredd
CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS
THERME VALS
61
Decerning the elements-secular sacredness Salk Institute for Biological Studies Louis Kahn La Jolla, California
A building may very well induce transcending experiences, and in essence attain a sacred character albeit of a non-religious kind. Louis Kahn once wrote:
“All material in nature, the mountains and the streams and the air and we are made of Light which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to Light. so Light is really the source of all being� Every distinct landscape and setting has its characteristic light. The interplay of light and shadow connects architectural spaces with the dynamics of the physical and the natural world the seasons, the hours of the day.
62
the place geometry
the path
atm mosspheric ambiguitiees
archetype
63
Decerning the elements-secular sacredness Ground Zero Daniel Libeskind New York City
For all the deep emotion attached to Ground Zero, religion has played a minor role there. Among the visitors who flock to this site, who stop and pray silently, they invoke their own faith. And because this contemporay sacred places is located right in the heart of one of the most important commercial districts in the world, a curious conflict has arisen between the sacred and the secular. But the place itself is among what the sacredness stands for- an homage, a memorial, a place that can only be filled by what once was and no longer is. A collective and individual memory of the sacred.
64
the place
osp atm
the p
ath
geometry
type e h arc
her ic a ig mb es uiti 65
si te
02 through adjacencies
through demographics
influence on the city
fo r co ntemp o rary arch it e ct u r a l d i s c o u r s e St. Louis, MO has long been known for industry, tourism, and as a hub for trade and transport along the Mississippi River system since its establishment. But St. Louis also has a long history associated with segregation, white flight, a decaying city center and other aliments that have tainted its perception. Along with a crumbling infrastructure, St. Louis has an array of abandoed buildings, from warehouses, and office buildings to homes and churches. The city is also punctured by an enormous number of steeples and towers. It is city that is known for having an abundance of beautiful churches such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, home of the world’s largest mosaic installation. It is a major center from Roman Catholicism and boasts the largest Ethical Culture Society in the United States. So with a large religious society, is the multitude of abandonded and crumbling churches a plague of the city itself? Or could it be something else? A paradigm that is shifting to a society based less on the need of specific religious establishments and the need for more secular sacred spaces, those that are defined by memory- individual or collective and where the mere concepts of the “church� are present.
67
si te
02 through adjacencies
“You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see.� -Tad ao An d o
69
St. Louis has an uneven distribution of religious spaces to community centers. The city is home to many beautiful churches but there are few notable community centers that cater to different socioeconomic or cultural groups.
70
community centers
p l a ces of worsh ip
71
Wh a t S t . Lo u i s d o e s n’ t n e e d : a relig io u s estab lish m en t
W h a t S t . Lo u i s d o e s n e e d : A secu lar sacred sp ace
72
73
AREA OF INTEREST 1
74
75 01
C ult u re as S ac re d - G r an d Ce n te r
Gran d Ce n t e r h a s b e e n t h e c u l t u r a l d e s t i n at i on of St . Lou i s sin ce it s c o n c e p t i o n . I t i s h o m e t o m a n y ar t gal l er i es , Th e at e rs , a n d o t h e r c u l t u r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s . Sel ec t i n g a sit e in t h i s f i r s t a re a o f i n t e re s t w o u l d c at er t o a yo u n g e r d e m o g r a p h i c f ro m s t u d e n t s t o ar t i s t s an d m ay d r a w s o m e t o u r i s t s o r a s e l e c t i on o f cu ltu re s . T h e s a c re d n e s s o f t h i s s i t e w ou l d ce le b rat e a re l i g i o n o f c u l t u re .
r. D in art
M er
th
Lu
ter en dev Van
e
riv
N
D
Ave
g
in
K
76
77
AREA OF INTEREST 2
78
79
N a t ure as S ac re d - F ore s t Pa rk
F o re st Park i s o n e o f t h e l a rg e s t c i t y p a r k s in t h e co u n t r y. E v e r y y e a r i t i s v i s i t e d b y m illio n s o f re s i d e n t s a n d t o u r i s t s a l i k e . A se cu lar s a c re d s p a c e w i t h i n t h e p a r k w o u ld e lu de t o n a t u re b e i n g t h e m o st sacre d e l e m e n t o f t h e p ro p o s a l . Th e se le ct i o n o f a s i t e i n F o re s t Pa r k w o u l d cat e r t o a p l e t h o r a o f c u l t u re s , re s i d e n t s , an d to u rist s , b u t m a y b e s e e n a s m o re o f a d e stin at i o n t h a n a p l a c e f o r e v e r y d a y u s e .
80
81
SELECTED SITE
82
Tower Grove East and South
83
C o m m uni t y as S ac re d - Tow e r Gro v e E a st & S o u th
To w e r Gro v e is a m o n g t h e m o s t d i v e r s e a n d d en s e n e ig h b o rh o o d s i n a l l o f t h e S t . Lo u i s C i t y. I t h as an array o f d iv e rs e f o o d o p t i o n s a l o n g G r a n d B o ul evard, h o w e v e r t h e st re e t m a y b e t o o g e n t r i f i e d f o r t h e co m m u n ity it s e r v e s . T h e re s i d e n t s o f t h i s s e ct i on of th e city h ave l o w e r i n c o m e s t h a n o t h e r p a r t s , an d o fte n can n o t a f f o rd t o e a t o u t r i g h t d o w n t h e s t reet fro m w h e re th e y l i v e . A s i t e s e l e c t e d i n t h i s n ei gh bor h ood w o u ld u se co mm u n i t y s e r v i c e s t o i t s a d v a n t a ge an d u se co m m u n it y a s a b r i d g i n g e l e m e n t b e t w e e n t h e se cu lar
84
85
si te
02 through demographics
“Architecture is an expression of values” -No rm an F o ster
87
p arkin g su rf a c e a re a 180,000 s q. f t
co m m ercial b u ild i ng s ur f a c e a re a 200,000 s q. f t
resid en tial su r f a c e a re a 400,000 s q. f t
88
23% t e mpo ra ry u se rs
5 1 % re s i d e n t s
26% w or ke rs
89
Si t e S e l e c t i on - Par ki n g s u rfa c e
I n to d ay’ s s o c i e t y, i d e a s o f s a c re d n e s s are oft en l os t . Th e ch o s e n s i t e b e i n g a l a rg e p a r k i n g s u r fac e adjac en t to a b u s y s t re e t e l u d e s t o t h i s t r a j e c t o r y. T h e n e ig h b o r h o o d i s a d o r n e d w i t h p l e n t i f u l s t reet p ark in g t h a t f l a n k s e i t h e r s i d e o f G r a n d Bl vd. Ho w e ve r, t h e i n t ro d u c t i o n o f a l a rg e p a rki n g l ot was to ad d c o n v e n i e n c e f o r v i s i t o r s t o t h e l oc al res t au r an t s . Park in g s u r f a c e s a re a n y t h i n g b u t s a c re d. T h ey exempl i f y so cie tal n e e d s a n d p re s s u re s b y s h o w c as i n g t h ei r se lfish n e s s . A p o u re d c o n c re t e p a t h l a i d on t op of o n ce sac re d a n d b e a u t i f u l e a r t h , t o p ro v i de co n ve n ie n c e f o r o u r f a s t p a c e d o f t e n r u sh ed l i fe. Th e id e a t o r i d t h e r a t h e r l a rg e a l l o t m e nt of par ki n g i s p u re ly p u r p o s e f u l . S a c re d s p a c e s a n d momen t s of re fle ctio n n e e d t o b e a d d e d b a c k i n t o d ai l y l i fe, w h ich in c l u d e n o t o n l y t h e i n t ro d u c t i o n of t h e propos ed p ro j e ct , b u t t h e s e re n d i p i t o u s a c t s t h a t c an be fo u n d al o n g w a y. W h o k n o w s w h a t c o u l d h appen w h e n a u s e r i s f o rc e d t o d r i v e a l o n g t h e s t reet t o fin d p ark i n g - p e r h a p s t h e y b u m p i n t o a s t r an ger t h at tu rn s in t o t h e l o v e o f t h e i r l i f e , o r t h e y s ee a s t r ay c at , th at tu rn s o u t t o b e a b e l o v e d p e t . I t i s wh en we tak e p u re c o n v e n i e n c e o u t o f l i f e , i s w h en t r u l y refl ec t i ve act s an d m o m e n t s c a n h a p p e n .
90
N
through adjacencies
street parking main street secondary street
91 64
TPI CA L RESI D ENT I A L T YPO LO GY 2- 3 ST O RI ES A BO V E GRA D E RA I SED PL I NT H FRO M ST REET
CO MMERCE BA NK AT M D RI V E U P ST A L L S I N REA R
R O O S T ER R ES T AU R AN T P A RK IN G LO T FO R C O S T U M ER S I N R EAR
J AY ’ S I N T ER N A T I O NA L FO O D S FO O D S EL EC T I O N T O S ERV E D I V ERSE NEI GH BO RH O O D
92
a rk a n s a s a ve
s . g ra n d b lv d
h a r tf o rd s t
ju n ia ta s t
through adjacencies
N 93
1 View from Har tford St
2 View from Grand Blvd
3 View from Arkansas Ave
4 View from Juniata St.
94
Vi ew s t o si t e 1
the site is large and only small two or three story buildings surround it. The surface is slightly raised from surrounding street.
2 3
4
95
1 View to Har tford St
2 View to Grand Blvd
3 View to Arkansas Ave
4 View to Juniata St.
96
V i ew s o ut of s i t e 1
The site is flanked by residential buildings on three sides and a commerical boulevard on the other. The streets are lined with trees and are generally quiet.
2 3
4
97
1 Resident’s entrance
2 Visitor entrance
3 Outreach entrance
4 Individual’s entrance
98
M ulti ple po i nt s of e n t r y the center is open to the entire community, but the site allows for there to be more thsn one entry into the space. This allows different user groups to decide which program they will need and use
1
2 3
4
99
pro gram
03 through need
through ritual
through atmosphere
100
t h e s c u l p t i n g of memor y
fo r the coll e ct iv e an d t h e i n d i v i d u a l The propsal relies on the spaces that sculpt, provoke, and reimagine memory. The program is divided into two parts, the spaces that collective groups of people come together to create memory for remembering as a community. These spaces include community services to where individuals or groups alike use them for similar purpose- an auditorium, community rooms, outreach facilities. The other portion of the program is elusive, left soley up to the individual for interpretation of how memories are created within themA bathhouse used for ritual bathing or used to provoke childhood memories of the pool with friends. It is the user’s memories which provoke individual thoughts and allow reflection and contemplation to occur in such sacred spaces.
101
pro gram
03 through need
“Architects can’t force people to connect, it can only plan the crossing points, remove barriers, and make the meeting places useful and attractive.”
- Den ise Sco tt Bro w n
103
collective memory
104
individual memory
105
associative
spatial
ce pe a
s
ac tio n
light lig h
abs aabse ab bse b ense ns nse ns
geom ometr om etrtry etry et try ry
ssme meellll m
ccoolor colo dark da aark rkk
materi eririal ial re mat ure atur nat na
soup kitchen
pl
h
s shelter
ce
selfl se
innddiivi v duual al
memorryy me preesen ce
worsGran hip
alt
water
t en
106
sa nc tua ry
he
food
ttas assteesilleenc enn e
vem
shheelte sh she teer
s aacce sp
yer pra
mo
foo ffo o d
pl a
ce
worship ip
medical altreach clinic
presen
ac tio ns alt h
ou
SA S A ACR CREED CR D
ch
he
ditor itor auditorium
e tin rou
pe ac
e
ce
ou tre a
watterr
ce ien
aud
ien aud
com mu nity
natural
com
m
nity community nity tyuroo rooms
community rooms
auditorium
nd Hall
contemplation co
community garden
contemplation space
Grand Hall
geometry
nt
r m memorial hall
absense n
e vem
tua
medical clinic
tastesilence sil
light
sa nc
seelf
yer
pra
mo
pla
ce
space
memorial gardens
individuaal
meeemory
SACRED
smell
color
soup kitchen
dark
bathinggnature materiala
entrance forest
memorial hall bathing
107
3 : 2 : 1 rati o of s p ace
medical clinic
soup kitchen
4,000 sq ft
4,000 sq ft
auditorium
7,000 sq ft
3
community services
2 0 ,0 0 0 s q f t
community rooms 5,000 sq ft
1 entrance
Grand Grand Hall Hall 5,000 sq ft
5 ,0 0 0 s q f t
memorial hall 5,000 sq ft
bathing 3,000 sq ft
108
2 contemplation space 2,000 sq ft
individual space
1 0 ,0 0 0 s q f t
REA A E T I ED S Q. FT T C E J PRO 0,000 S ~6
a rk a n s a s a ve
s . g ra n d b lv d
h a r tf o rd s t
ju n ia ta s t
N 109 01
The n e e d f or C ol l e c t i v e C ommuni t y spac e i s whe re mem b ers of th e c ommuni t y, j oi n t oge t her to m ake mem ori e s as a whol e . W he t he r th ey a re i n l arge c onge grat i ons such as an ev en t whe re musi c i s re me mbered in th e a u d i tori um, or t he pe rsonal act of g i v i ng soup t o some one i n n eed , mem ory i s c ol l e c t i ve .
medical clinic 4,000 sq ft
soup kitchen 4,000 sq ft
auditorium
7,000 sq ft
community rooms 5,000 sq ft
110
3
community services
2 0 ,0 0 0 s q f t
1
2 3
4
111
program
03 through ritual
112
“Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space, On the one hand it’s about shelter, but it’s also about pleasure.” -Zah a Had id
113
The i m p or t an c e of r i t u al I n a n age i n whi c h t e c hnol ogy en a b l e s al l , or se e ms t o e nable all, w h a t i s i mpor t ant t o us? Per h a ps what i s sac re d i s si mply w h at w e c h o ose t o sanc t i f y. T h e s e c ond hal f of t he program elu d es t o t he i ndi vi dual , Pe rso n al r i tu a l , me mory, and pl ac e i s reflected in th ese s p a c es.
memorial hall 5,000 sq ft
bathing 3,000 sq ft
114
2 contemplation space 2,000 sq ft
individual space
1 0 ,0 0 0 s q f t
1
2 3
4
115
pro gram
03 through atmosphere
“Architecture is the constant fight between man and nature, the fight to overwhelm nature, to possess it. The first act of architecture is to put a stone on the ground. That act transforms a condition of nature into a condition of culture; it’s a holy act.”
-Mario Bo tta
117
Atmospheric ambiguities Therme Vals Peter Zumthor
Imagine stone. The texture, the feel on bare feet, the appearance. Run your fingers across it. Now imagine how stone hits the waters’s edge. Is it seen within its reflection? Or does it extend beyond the refracted edge and continue on into the depths. Or imagine a light fog, when the water smokes above its surface because the contrasting temperature between water and air. Accidental yet purposeful. Close your eyes and breathe in the smell of hibiscus as it seeps into warm water and then releases oils and fragrance upon your skin. The author’s memories of Therme Vals, June 2012.
118
119
The sense of self The Weather Project Olafur Eliasson
Paradoxically, the less we look like individuals, the more aware we become that we share a common humanity, that we are all members of the same species. Against the cataclysmic beauty of the evening sun, we sense our insignificant place within the infinity of our solar system. Adults and children lie on their backs staring up at the ceiling, often moving their arms and legs in a sweet, sad effort to find their own reflections in the swarming mass of undifferentiated shapes in the distance. Recollections of Richard Dorment, November 2003
120
121
Lessons in Modernity Walt Disney Concert Hall Frank Ghery
Two significant public buildings put up in the last few years in downtown Los Angeles, Walt Disney Hall by Gehry and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, a boxy building of tan-colored stone by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, it is Gehry’s concert hall that seems to have more of the qualities we associate with the sacred. The cathedral is more conventional as a shape, the concert hall more unusual, harder to grasp, more mysterious even, and perhaps more promising, in a way, of transcendence. Paul Goldberger from Sacred Space and the Challenge of the Modern, 2016
122
123
Print Sources Angrosino, Michael V. The Culture of the Sacred: Exploring the Anthropology of Religion. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 2004. Print. Bachelard, Gaston, M. Jolas, and John R. Stilgoe. The Poetics of Space. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Barrie, Thomas. Spiritual Path, Sacred Place: Myth, Ritual, and Meaning in Architecture. Boston: Shambha la, 1996. Print. BermĂşdez, Julio. Transcending Architecture: Contemporary Views on Sacred Space. Washington D.C.: Catholic U of America, 2015. Print. Britton, Karla. Constructing the Ineffable: Contemporary Sacred Architecture. New Haven, CT: Yale School of Architecture, 2010. Print. Brooks, Anita, and Susannah Kelly. People and Spaces: A View of History through Architecture. New York: Viking, 1979. Print. Elkins, James. Pictures & Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. Heathcote, Edwin, and Laura Moffatt. Contemporary Church Architecture. Chichester, England: Wiley-Academy, 2007. Print. Hoffman, Douglas R. Seeking the Sacred in Contemporary Religious Architecture. Kent, OH: Kent State UP, 2010. Print. Lobell, John, and Louis I. Kahn. Between Silence and Light: Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn. Boulder: Shambhala, 1979. Print. Turner, Victor W. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. Chicago: Aldine Pub., 1969. Print.
124
Zevi, Bruno. Architecture as Space; How to Look at Architecture. New York: Horizon, 1957. Print.
Print Sources Continued Zumthor, Peter. Atmospheres: Architectural Environments, Surrounding Objects. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006. Print. Zumthor, Peter, Maureen Oberli-Turner, and Catherine Schelbert. Thinking Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006. Print.
Web Sources http://www.merriam-webster.com/ https://images.google.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_building http://www.paulgoldberger.com/lectures/architecture-sacred-space-and-the-challenge-of-the-modern/ http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-26761 http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-31621 http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-38171 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis http://www.susanatorre.net/architecture-and-design/collective-memory/ http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137451354 http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/ http://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/what-makes-ordinary-place-sacred-space http://www.sacred-spaces.info/sba/ http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Tower-Grove-East-Saint-Louis-MO.html http://preservationresearch.com/2004/09/national-memorial-cogic/ http://preservationresearch.com/news-2/north-st-louis-churches-needing-assistance/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_the_United_States#cite_note-Pew_2015_Christian_bulletin-2 http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/sacredness.html http://www.ccp.aau.dk/activities/activity/imagining-the-future-of-collective-memory.cid150362
125
Image Sources
Cover
https://www.flickr.com/photos/camil_t/82015664
Pg. 4-5
http://www.archdaily.com/101260/ad-classics-church-of-the-light-tadao-ando http://simpleactually.tumblr.com/post/101910965663/its-raining-light-rain-httpiftttibtiml
Pg. 6
Notre Dame. Paris, France. Katheryn Haas. June 2012
Pg. 7
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2012/01/why-more-homeless-shelters-should-allow-alcohol/953/
Pg. 8
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Internal_Pantheon_Light.JPG
Pg.19
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-92933467/stock-photo-cityscape-of-rome-and-vatican-city-italy.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Museums
Pg.24
http://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/a-whistlestop-tour-of-berlin-essentials/
Pg.27
http://blog.patternbank.com/emma-mcnally-imagined-networks/
Pg.29
http://blog.patternbank.com/emma-mcnally-imagined-networks/
Pg.31
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/hajj-2014_n_5889806.html http://lcog.cc/about-2/
Pg.33
http://www.pepventosa.com/gallery.html?folio=the%20photographs&sortNumber=1&gallery=The%20Collective%20Snapshot&skipno=0
Pg.35
http://www.westviewatlanta.com/2014/04/community-garden-spring-planting-photos/ http://www.parkerfordchurch.com/blog/2013/10/31/parker-ford-church-hears-about-gods-kitchen/
Pg. 36-37
http://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-2365022-stock-footage-new-york-circa-june-time-lapse-of-pedestrians-crossing-street-at-busy-manhattan.html
Pg.44
Hotel Therme Vals. Switzerland. Katheryn Haas
Pg.47
. June 2012
http://www.archdaily.com/55969/between-cathedrals-alberto-campo-baeza
Pg.49
Sumtvig Chapel. Switzerland. Katheryn Haas. June 2012 http://allencuster.com/?portfolio=kalevala-kehto
Pg.51
126
Kampii Chapel of Silence. Helsinki, Finland. Katheryn Haas. March 2015. Pg. 53 St. Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel. Turku, Finland. Katheryn Haas. April 2015 http://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/a-whistlestop-tour-of-berlin-essentials/
Pg. 55
Kampii Chapel of Silence. Helsinki, Finland. Katheryn Haas. March 2015. http://londondesignjournal.com/home/2014/4/10/light-is-time-
Pg. 57
Church Under the Rock. Helsinki, Finland. Katheryn Haas. May 2015. http://simpleactually.tumblr.com/post/101910965663/its-raining-light-rain-httpiftttibtiml
Pg. 59
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Internal_Pantheon_Light.JPG http://britishart.yale.edu/architecture
Pg. 61
Chapel of the Holy Cross. Turku,Finland. Katheryn Haas. April 2015 Therme Vals. Vals, Switzerland. Katheryn Haas. June 2012.
Pg. 63
Salk Institute for Biological Studies. La Jolla, California. Katheryn Haas. February 2016
Pg. 65
National September 11 Memorial and Museum. New York City. Katheryn Haas. November 2014
Pg. 66-67
Basilica of St. Louis. St. Louis, Mo. Katheryn Haas. August 2014 St. Louis Arch. St. Louis, Mo. Katheryn Haas. October 2014
Pg. 73
http://www.builtstlouis.net/sitemap.html Fox Theatre. St. Louis, Mo. Katheryn Haas. April 2016
Pg. 81
https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
Pg. 86
http://mashable.com/2014/10/10/riot-police-protests-st-louis-shooting/#gdNWJmWCgZqb
Pg. 100
http://www.archdaily.com/778269/diamond-island-community-center-vo-trong-nghia-architects
Pg. 101
http://urbsolare.tumblr.com/post/47637414137/n-architektur-neanderthal-museum-spain
Pg. 102
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/EventSearch?eventSection=2762986&narrowByDate=Today&neighborhood=2682529
Pg. 112
http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-31621
Pg. 116
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/10/hill-cork-house-contaminar-arquitectos-swimming-pool/
Pg. 119
http://www.flims.com/de/aktivitaeten/indoor/thermen/vals/
Pg. 121
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/exhibition/unilever-series-olafur-eliasson-weather-project/olafur-eliasson-weather-project
Pg. 123
Walt Disney Concert Hall. Los Angeles, California. Katheryn Haas. February 2016
127