TIME, MEMORY + SILENCE: SEARCHING FOR THE SACRED IN ARCHITECTURE

Catalog description

This course explores how works of architecture function not only as physical forms but also as vessels of memory and emotion. It broadens the notion of sacredness beyond places of worship and rituals to include spaces of remembrance, the natural landscape, the home, and acts of service, while exploring how architectural elements such as light, scale, materiality, color, and texture contribute to the atmospheric character of a space. Through the study of architectural precedents, students analyze how built environments—whether explicitly sacred or secular—anchor themselves in a particular place, time, and cultural context, while simultaneously evoking a sense of timelessness or universality. These precedents, both enduring and ephemeral, encourage students to consider how fleeting spatial experiences can leave an indelible mark on human consciousness, shaping the way we perceive and interpret the world. (4 credit) spring