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Papadopoulos Glass | |
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New Sacred Space | |
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New Sacred Space Ashizawa says, "This chapel uses the natural phenomena of the site to imbue the space with a sense of the sacred and the wonder of nature." The essential quality of the space predisposes visitors to reflection and meditation. Mario Botta is today one of the most prolific and influential architects of contemporary sacred spaces. His works include the Evry Cathedral in France, the Cymbalista Synagogue in Tel Aviv, the ecumenical Malpensa Airport Chapel in Milan, Italy and a mosque projected for Amman, Jordan. "In a society which is inattentive to the values of the spirit, there is instead a great need for spirituality," Botta says. "It's a strong but very personal need." He uses very little iconography in deference to the individuality of this need. Instead, he creates spaces conducive to contemplation and silence using light, geometric forms, and natural materials like gold-leaf, maple wood, marble, and Verona stone. Botta's Santo Volto Church in Turin, Italy, inaugurated in December 2006, was built on the site of the city's former Fiat factory. In the project, Botta sought to maintain a sense of connection to the past by integrating remnants of the factory. He wrapped the chimney that once spouted smoke with a coil and thin metallic blades that move with the wind to reflect light. The church stands beside the chimney with seven 115-foot (35-meter) towers made of Verona stone and brick and seven smaller towers that curl out in the form of a giant tulip. Inside, the diffused light from over 540 small windows evokes a sense of elevation, grandeur, and stillness. The Santo Volto Church, built on the edge of a neighborhood undergoing revitalization, is an affirmation of values, according to Botta. "A new church is a place of sustenance, silence, and prayer which through its architecture reaffirms the authentic human values," he says. "It is a structure that goes beyond the religious meaning that generated it, in order to bear witness — for believers and nonbelievers alike — to a primary, ancestral, and profoundly human need." Sacred beyond Church As many people seem to turn away from religious institutions for responses to such deeper human yearning, the concept of sacred space is expanding beyond churches, mosques, and synagogues to include areas in public spaces, parks, spas, and even prisons. Botta considers museums, like his San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and Modern Art Museum (MART) in Rovereto, Trento, Italy, to be sacred spaces as well. "Museums perform the role that churches held in the past," he says. He contends they depict certain values presented by artists, but provide an individual experience rather than a collective one. Botta's Bergoase Spa in the Swiss Alps also communicates a profound sense of calm. It feels like a hybrid between a traditional religious sacred space and a secular one but with the same aim — to regenerate the body, mind, and spirit. The TKF Foundation funds the creation of nonsectarian sacred spaces in institutions and public areas. TKF defines sacred space as: "a space set aside from everyday life, which is meant to invite you into a deeper and more peaceful relationship with yourself, your neighbor, and the created world. Each person's idea of a sacred space is unique." Nevertheless, sacred spaces are often defined by common characteristics: 1) a portal or threshold symbolizing a passage into a separate world; 2) a path, perhaps meandering, perhaps labyrinthine, inviting exploration and discovery; and, 3) a destination or focal point to draw visitors. Such a place might be a resting place or bench, a fountain, or a tree — and may include more than one destination. The space is necessarily defined by a boundary — a fence or wall — to provide a sense of refuge and separation from the outside. >>> Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...
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