Overview

Sacred spaces exemplify some of the most exciting and challenging architecture today. Designing Sacred Spaces tells the inside story of seven architecture firms and their approaches to designing churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, monasteries and retreats. Twenty beautifully illustrated case studies located in Asia, Europe, and North America are showcased alongside discussions with the designers into concept and design development, materiality, and spatial analysis. Complementing these are essays on the cultural, historical, and theoretical meaning and importance of sacred spaces. By exploring the way we see religion and how we understand secular and sacred space, Designing Sacred Spaces reveals how we see ourselves and how we see others. A tour-de-force of first-person narratives, research, and illustrations, this book is a vital desk reference.

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9780415745000

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Reviews

Equal parts fascinating history-theory, illuminating design diary and dialogue, and feast for the eyes and soul, Wing's Designing Sacred Spaces is a compelling and beautifully structured book that teaches us, not only about religion and culture, but about design process, perception, and the power of space to be transcendent. It's a fascinating read with multiple voices and points of view. A welcome addition to anyone's library, certainly not just those of architects. - Alice Kimm, JFAK Architects and Adjunct Associate Professor, USC School of Architecture, USA Sherin Wing is changing the architectural dialog for the better. In this rigorously researched, thoughtful, well-written book she argues against the European/American centric examination of our built environment, and opens the discourse by including sacred spaces around the globe. She argues and proves that architecture is at its best when it represents unique and complex cultures, a specific locality as well as its policies and beliefs. What better place to start human habitation than in the spiritual realm? - Susan S. Szenasy, Publisher and Editor in Chief, Metropolis, USA

Author Information

Sherin Wing received her Ph.D. in the Humanities from UCLA, USA. In addition to being a published scholar, she also writes for several publications including Architecture Magazine, ArchDaily.com, the Huffington Post, and Metropolis Magazine on a wide range of issues surrounding the cultural, economic, and social aspects of architecture.

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