Ise Jingu / Unity Temple / A Comparison

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ISE JINGU UNITY TEMPLE

ENVIRONMENT MATERIAL BELIEF A COMPARISON

FALL 2016 // NON-WESTERN ARCHITECTURE // JOHN LOBELL

HISTORY ISE JINGU

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伊勢神宮

4 BCE ISE / MIE / JAPAN • •

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Shinto shrine Two identical complexes about 6km apart: The Naiku sacred to sun goddess Amaterasu The Geku sacred to Toyouke ,the goddess of grain Modeled after traditional elevated granary Rebuilt every 20 years on adjacent site while old structure is burned down

traditional elevated granary from Yayoi period 300 BCE adjacent site

UNITY TEMPLE 1905 / OAK PARK / ILLINOIS / USA

• Unitarian Church • Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright • Monolithic structure

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FALL 2016 // NON-WESTERN ARCHITECTURE // JOHN LOBELL

ISE JINGU Through a ritual called Shikinen Sengu ( installation of the deity in a new shrine) which takes place once every 20 years, buildings on the grounds of Ise such as the sanctuary are rebuilt in adjacent grounds. It is a grand event, with the completion of the new building taking as long as ten years.

ISE / MIE / JAPAN

sacred mirror sitting in special wooden boat right above heart pillar sacred to Amaterasu

Naiku

Geku

shin no mihashira heart pillar buried under shrine

proportions The Fence is a barrier, separating the sacred precincts of the kami , divine ground (shin-iki) ,from the outer secular world.

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(also found in Japanese Flag)

Pre buddhistic Shimmei Type The buildings resemble Yayoi granaries.

The granary has mystical significance receptacle of the life giving rice. The shrine is dedicate to the spirits and stays unoccupied by humans.


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UNITY TEMPLE

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Finished in 1908 Unity Temple is built as a monolithic concrete structure cast in place. The Temple has a common meeting area and classrooms to the south and a congregation space for church-goers to the north.

“THE SCALE OF EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DOES NOT CHANGE EXCEPT FOR THE EXPLANATORY MARKING OF PANEL STRIPS”* FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

All windows are located above street level. With a budget of $40,000 and on a very elongated site facing a busy street. Natural light comes through low stained glass windows in the roof and along the clerestories on the upper walls. The color of the interior and the glass is “ soft yellow green and grey” * With the 2 1/2 level high central sanctuary Wright creates a space as as he states where the real heart of the building is its space, not its walls. "Unity" of space, material, construction as well as the experience is the prevailing idea for the design.

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WINDOW AND COLUMN DETAIL Wright designs details and interior in the same architectural language as the walls, windows and the roof.

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*from Wrights notes on original plans (see Appendix)

ELEVATIONS ISE JINGU

Engaging with surrounding space

1 level space

UNITY TEMPLE Closed off from surrounding space

3 level space VIKTORIA USUI-BARBO

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DESIGN VOCABULARY ISE JINGU ROUND POLE

framed space

UNITY TEMPLE

SQUARE

contained space VIKTORIA USUI-BARBO

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RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE ISE JINGU One with nature Architectural design follows natural landscape

UNITY TEMPLE Framed with nature Landscape follows architectural design

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WORLDVIEW

ISE JINGU SHINTO 神道

CONCEPT • • • • • • • • •

INDIVIDUAL & COMMUNITY

Shinto has no God. Believe in natural spirits “kami “ Ethnic worldview rather than religion.

Everything, including the spiritual, is experienced as part of this world.

Shinto has no place for any transcendental other world.

Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion. (often combined with buddhism) Shinto has no canonical scriptures.

Shinto has no founder.

Shinto teaches important ethical principles but has no commandments.

Shrine visiting and taking part in festivals play a great part in binding local communities together Ritual rather than belief is at the heart of Shinto.

Shinto sees human beings as basically good and has no concept of original sin, or of humanity as ‘fallen’.

Purification as main ritual Pollution 'Tsumi' disconnection from kami through wrong doing including things which are beyond the control of individual human beings and are thought of as being caused by evil spirits including death disaster and disease.

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UNITY TEMPLE UNITARIANISM

CONCEPT • • • • • • •

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INDIVIDUAL & COMMUNITY

Insist on the oneness of God God not as a all-powerful Being demanding obedience Essential unity of humankind and of creation Focus of the service may be simply the celebration of life itself Religious ideas based on rational thought rather than external authority Equal rights for gay people within the Church and in society at large supported A wide range of religious ideas, including humanism tolerated

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• • • • •

Each congregation can devise its own form of service Often active participation in social justice and community work Unitarian services lack liturgy and ritual service contains readings from many sources, sermons, prayers, silences, and hymns and songs potential for everyone to grow in wisdom and integrity.

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SYMBOLS

ISE JINGU TOMOE 右三つ巴

SHINTO

meaning : turning or circular, referring to

the motion of the earth • • • • •

TOMOE

cyclicality organic wholeness acceptance of actuality and ambiguity worship of nature and metamorphosis importance of the organic wholeness rather than individual unit

UNITY TEMPLE FLAMING CHALICE

UNITARIANISM

The flame of truth forming a cross

off centered to make space for diversity • • • • FLAMING CHALICE

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acceptance of diversity seeking for answers individually worship of community and one god importance of the commonality of principle and purpose of individuals rather than a conformity of belief system

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COMMUNITY SPACES & DIRECTIONALITY ISE JINGU The Naiku as well as the Geku complex is surrounded by four enclosures. Only the first is marked by a gateway, which is open to the public.

Selected people of high rank are admitted to the second enclosure, but the third and fourth enclosures are reserved only for the Emperor who is the high priest.

The communal space floats around the the fences that form the layered enclosures. The visiting of the shrine is rather an individual meditative experience focusing on the path through the complex than a communal experience.

Community is celebrated through ceremonial gatherings and rituals in the forest complex surrounding the shrine.

UNITY TEMPLE The main communal space is located on the 2F and is accessible via 3 stairs located at the corners from the 1F Foyer which is slightly lowered. The room spans over 2 1/2 floor height and includes the Choir and an organ hidden behind a screen.

The space without openings to the outside on eye level and the toplight as well as the centralized orientation of the interior towards the preacher emphasize the community experience. No person is more than 40 feet way from the pulpit.

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MATERIAL & CONSTRUCTION ISE JINGU Thatched roof held in place by horizontal logs

wooden unfinished piles raising building from ground disintegrate slowly into the ground

Natural simplicity

Sensible integration into nature

Simple straight lines

No stone footing Ground covered with pebbles Surrounded by wooden fences and wooden tori (gates)

Shimmei Shrine Type : modeled after granary with stylized modification of the structure Material Cypress, Cedar and Thatch , few stylized elements covered with leaf gold

Wood joinery without nails

UNITY TEMPLE yellow green and grey glass yellow green and grey as main color for the cubic interior design

All windows are located above street level. low stained glass windows in the roof and along the clerestories on the upper walls.

2 1/2 level high central sanctuary with top light Monolithic

Simple cubic design

Cast in place concrete structure unfinished outside

Painted Ceilings and walls painted wood and stucco on inside

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CONCLUSION

ISE JINGU

VECTORIAL SENSE OF SPACE Cyclicality

UNITY TEMPLE

HOLISTIC SENSE OF SPACE Unity / Equality VIKTORIA USUI-BARBO

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Bibliography Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright and Architecture for Liberal Religion / Joseph M. Siry / Cambridge University Press

Unity Temple / Frank Lloyd Wright / Architecture in Detail / Robert McCarter / Phaidon Press

Architecture of the world / Japan / Ed.Henri Stierlin / Benedikt Taschen Verlag Germany

Ise: Prototype of Japanese Architecture / Kenzo Tange, Noboru Kawazoe / Zokeisha Publishing

Ise Jingu: A manifestation of the coeval past, present and future / Estelle A Mare Shinto Ritual Building Practices / Philip E. Harding

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Apendix Ritualized Construction of Ise Shrine

Communal transportation of wood logs from the mountains

Laying the foundation and the base construction

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Uncut sacred wood logs

Ritualized construction finished

Roof Construction

Communal laying of pebbles

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Rituals supporting the construction

Shinto Priests commencing the construction

The emperor visiting Ise

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Communal pilgrimage to the Shrine

FALL 2016 // NON-WESTERN ARCHITECTURE // JOHN LOBELL

Original Drawings Frank Lloyd Wright