The Vestiges of the Sacred
Abstract
As religiosity fades from Western society, a general apathy
has begun to pervade contemporary life. The role of
religion as the orientation point of life (for many people)
has vanished leaving voids within the cultural fabric. The
post-modern movement epitomized this well through the
embrace of a life devoid of purposeful meaning and infinite
interpretation. Through this we have lost the sense
of the sacred and the careful reverence of things higher
than ourselves.
How can architecture induce this sense of the sacred?
Site: Abandoned Railway Tunnel (Detroit to Windsor)
Program: Pedestrian crossing and Contemplative Park
Goal: design a daily ritual journey for the people of Detroit
and Windsor
The tunnel is devoid of context. The viewer has no immediate
connection with the outside world, priming them for
an emotionally altering experience. As the viewer makes
his way through the tunnel, he experiences various aspects
of the sacred (silence, isolation, darkness, edifice,
and the sublime) with the hopes that these experiences
over time would prompt contemplation on a daily basis.