Spirituality in Architecture

 

Shree

 

Presence of consciousness as a medium initiates vibration, movement and action. Space and time are not external or static and one does not exist (only) as a causal relationship with the changing external world. The point is perception is a function of existence and it projects an external world or it can focus the presence of internal world. An important inference from this is staticness or externality or causal relationships are constructs or born from a state of mind. It can make anything “possible”.

At the core perhaps the term spirit or spirituality means to know and operate from the feeling of existence. Values of inner world are different from outer world although they are interlinked but yet appear to be extremely different since one cannot exist (or have memory) of both inner and outer worlds!

One of the inferences of operating in outer world is the idea of linear progress, development, causal idea of context, desperation to fix things, to seek control, to establish hierarchy, to define a problem, to lay focus on intellect. The fallout can be seen when one defines architecture in terms of space and time, or pitted against polar attitudes of tribal, vernacular, developing, developed or advanced and so on. The fallout is seen in terms of pace of development, intent of development, the human centric view that supercedes all other life forms, focus on intellect alone and probably relegation of feelings, less of tactile use of creating architecture, alienation, loss of public space, increased surveillance and so on and many other things while looking at other disciplines of knowledge.

If we see the operation of inner world, there seems to be a fundamental realization of connectedness and a sense of belonging. If this is the experience, then what happens about the idea of ‘progress’ or how does one define appropriate action geared towards some development? Should things still exist as polarized positions; should things only be seen from linear/ algorithmic/ logical point of view; should things be pitted against eachother and so on.

Perhaps the question is how does one retain the experience of spirituality in architecture or the idea of interconnectedness? This may not be an inquiry to change the world or fix anything, far from it and since that motto does not hold valid, the inquiry is self driven and not dependent on any external conditions.

 

·         Idea of spirituality and its reflection when creating a built environment (planning, siting, building, rituals, living)  - Tao of Architecture as an example

·         Idea of spirituality as a living experience when one perceives a phenomenon geographical/ historical/ cultural): Tribals and pre modern cultures

·         Idea of spirituality by understanding Ground Zero – Louis Kahn  

·         Idea of spirituality through recognition of universal values of life – Christopher Alexander

 

Hari Om