St Joseph’s College at University of Alberta. Edmonton. Canada The notion that architecture is the realization of an idea, that it evolves and changes from conception to conclusion through the equivalent of a rhetorical device, may explain in part our relationship to buildings that we both look upon and inhabit. They exemplify our concept of space, … More St Kateri Tekakwitha’s Chapel
INTRODUCTION The assembly is the living symbol of Christ in the world, and in the Church. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1Cor. 12:27). The primary symbol of Christ in the church is the people, because the people embody Him. Therefore, the Christian assembly in a liturgical space has … More The Christian Assembly and its Location in the Church Building
INTRODUCTION An often-overlooked kind of religious building is the one constructed with limited resources or in challenging circumstances. Such a building, however, possesses an elemental integrity and a high degree of architectural ingenuity. In spite of its apparent simple-mindedness, this type of building turns into an icon. A community’s investment of their own time and … More The Marginalization of the Beauty in Impoverished Communities
Profound reverence of scripture is an integral part of Christian religious life. The act of reading sacred texts has always required an appointed place, which has come to be considered sacred as well. These places constructed within the worship space — ambo, pyrgus, pulpit, and lectern, have attained powerful significance over the past two millennia.In … More Rediscovering Architecture’s Role in the Proclamation of Sacred Scriptures
The director of campus ministry Nancy Quan contacted me in September 2012 to design new liturgical furniture for their space on campus. A committee who has come together to work on this project gave me a series of principles to imprint in the project: Inclusive and Emphasize the Eucharist as an act of the whole … More Liturgical Furniture for St Mary’s University – Calgary
Beauty as a transcendental quality of being invites one to enter the world of contemplation. In The Relevance of the Beautiful and Other Essays, Hans-Georg Gadamer argues, “The experience of the beautiful in art is a form of knowing.”[i] To illustrate his point, he examines three basic concepts: Play, Symbol, and Festival. I would also … More Play, Symbol and Festival in Worship Design
Perspectives 