UPCOMING PRESENTATION

“Architecture, Cosmos, History: Lessons from Sacred Space”

WHEN: 12-1pm – July 22, 2014

WHERE: VCBO Architecture, 524 South 600 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

PRESENTER: Brandon Ro

SUMMARY: Sacred architecture has the ability to communicate messages as well as evoke extraordinary experiences. A global survey of the history of architecture reveals that many of the messages and experiences of sacred spaces share common themes and patterns. This presentation will compare three different religious building typologies – separated by time, culture, and geography – to illustrate some of the common messages, themes, and patterns related to architecture, ritual, cosmos, and history. In particular, the ancient Jewish temples at Jerusalem, Early Christian and Catholic basilicas, and early Mormon temples are compared to each other and then (re)interpreted through an inter-religious dialogue. The presentation offers designers several insights into the importance of architectural concepts such as narrative, spatial sequence, orientation, and commemorative themes among others.

This presentation is a summarized version of an article that was published last year (Volume 4, no. 1, 2013) by the Journal of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School and can be accessed at http://www.comparativetheology.org/ .