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An unknown aspect of Josep Lluís Sert (Barcelona, 1902–1983) is his deep engagement with Christian spirituality, particularly following his American exile. This perspective is beautifully reflected in his religious-themed projects, among which historiography has highlighted the church of Puerto Ordaz (Venezuela, 1951), the Chapel of St. Botolph (Boston, 1963–1968), and the Carmel de la Paix Chapel (Mazille, 1967–1972), designed, respectively, before, during, and after the Second Vatican Council. Using these three well-known projects as a starting point, our aim is to expand the discussion around this topic to encompass the entirety of Sert's sacred architecture. The contributions of Sert to the design of modern religious architecture are analyzed in this study, firstly through the distinctive aspects of his architecture, such as its urban scale and interactions between various plastic arts, and secondly through his theological references. This study is based on Sert's original drawings, as well as specific bibliographic sources and articles from specialized journals. At the same time, it seeks to highlight an aspect of the architect that, despite the significance and brilliance of his designs, has received little attention until now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Professor Witold Cęckiewicz (1924–2023) was one of the leading figures in Polish architecture and urban planning after World War II. His achievements in these areas cannot be overestimated. Sacred objects played a special role in his work. Over the course of almost 50 years, he designed several churches, a cathedral, chapels, a sanctuary, the extension of a cemetery, and was also responsible for the reconstruction of existing churches. The article discusses the circumstances of their creation, the author’s motivations, values, guiding ideas and significant events from his life. It is also an attempt to analyse the evolution of design trends as exemplified by the objects of architecture designed for the above-mentioned purposes. Compared to other buildings, they show the greatest transformations of the architectural alphabet that he used: from concepts in the spirit of interwar classicism and socialist realism, to modernist tendencies, references to the features of the region, and ending with postmodernist inclinations.

Copyright of Materiały Budowlane is the property of Wydawnictwo SIGMA-NOT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines current perceptions of purgatory among young people and its role in society. Architecture students' visual material explores the evolving concept of purgatory and its importance today. The study analyses how ideas of purification and hybridity are understood in contemporary secular society. Using a structured visual research framework, the study incorporates participatory seminars, art-based methodologies and innovative AI techniques. It investigates young people's views on purgatory and their understanding of the cosmos, considering contemporary interpretations and the concept of presentism. By combining creative and conventional research approaches, this text aims to enhance understanding and generate new insights. The analysis uncovers how purgatory and transitional spaces are understood in today's society, revealing individual interpretations of religious teachings. It also highlights the importance of creative research methods in understanding complex religious ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cities worldwide, housing is precarious. Local socio-economic environments can exacerbate existing social differences and exclusions, but can also contribute to alleviate these differences, and to foster high levels of social inclusion. This article introduces a special collection of articles asking how theology should contribute theologically to address the challenges of housing and human settlements. It derives from an assertion that theology and reflection on the built environment should engage each other, made concrete in this collection through exploring issues of housing justice. We explore the question of housing justice with reference to four related questions: (1) How can urban planning interventions enhance affordable, sustainable and aesthetically appealing housing for all? (2) What are the political, economic and legal conditions impacting on housing justice, and how can theologians engage in these spaces? (3) How can exclusionary or precarious conditions be addressed architecturally to contribute to ecological sustainability, aesthetics and affordability? (4) What are the dominant social imaginaries that mediate housing and settlement development, and how can theologians help foster inclusive and just social imaginaries? Examples from different countries, cities and socio-cultural contexts are introduced and reflected upon, seeking to identify conditions that enable affordable, sustainable and aesthetically attractive housing in an unequal and precarious world. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article points out the relevance of a theological perspective on the housing problem. At the same time, the implications for architecture, urban planning and politics are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Franciscan Order has played a significant role in the Roman Catholic presence in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina since establishing the Bosnian Vicariate in 1340. It has profoundly influenced the region’s religious, cultural, and social development. The Franciscan convent in Fojnica, founded in the late 14th century, has been instrumental in this mission. Despite facing repeated destruction and subsequent rebuilding during the Ottoman period, the convent emerged as a crucial educational and religious centre. Architecturally, it evolved with substantial contributions from architects like Josip pl. Vancaš, who designed the Renaissance-Revival Style church in 1886. This paper delves into its rich history of resilience and adaptation, highlighting its significance in Bosnian Franciscan heritage and its role in preserving Catholic traditions amidst challenging historical circumstances. It examines the historical background of architectural heritage, focusing on a systematic analysis of benefactors, involved architects, and construction masters, a review of the architectural design, and an evaluation of its features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectus is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents our documentation of a previously unidentified subterranean complex located near Amatsya, Israel. The study revolves primarily around an examination of the architecture, decorations, and letters carved on the walls of an underground rock-cut hall. The layout of the hall bears a striking resemblance to sacred architecture prevalent in the region since the Middle Bronze Age, while its decorative elements are linked to earlier artistic traditions dating back to the Iron Age, as well as the aniconic characteristics found in Idumean, Canaanite, Phoenician and Nabatean art of the Persian and Hellenistic periods. According to paleographic analysis, the Aramaic lapidary inscriptions, which possibly mention two deities, El and Adon, are tentatively dated to the 5th-4th centuries BCE. Our main thesis is that this hall functioned as a private shrine, possibly a funerary shrine adjacent to a rock-cut burial complex. We propose that both the shrine and the adjacent tomb were utilized by an Idumean landowner, showcasing influences from Phoenician / Canaanite iconographic traditions. Consequently, the site assumes significant importance, as it offers novel insights into the field of study by presenting, for the first time, a relatively well-preserved underground Idumean shrine from the Persian and Hellenistic periods. These finds contribute to a deeper understanding of the religious and cultural practices of the Idumeans during that specific era.

Copyright of Thiasos Monografie is the property of Edizioni Quasar di Severino Tognon s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sacrum et Decorum is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Architectus is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this interview, conducted by issue editors Frank Bosman and Alexander D. Ornellain August 2022, Ken Wong discusses the relationship between video game design,video game aesthetics, religious imagery, and cultural storytelling. He discusses how(secularized) religious tropes, ideas, and images can become part of the game designand the story of the game, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. Hediscusses how the ideas of “giving back”, atonement, and forgiveness can becomeelements of successful video games.

in_bo vol. 13 no. 17 focuses on one of its main themes of interest – the sacred – and investigates it according to the relationship between sacred architecture and design pedagogy in contemporary schools of architecture. Edited by Luigi Bartolomei and Andrea Conti, the issue draws a reflection from the sacred understood as the object of highest expression in architectural projects, to the intrinsic relationship between design pedagogy and sacred, intended as a complex of rituals that constitutes the educational practices in architecture. Authors’ contributions span from case studies of design studios to theoretical reflections, and analysis of educational and professional practices of architects and artists.

Within the framework of architectural design teaching, the reflection on “sacred” places as places of “worship,” proposed to international students, is a privileged opportunity for the young designer. The topic proves to be particularly suitable for communicating the values, qualities and characteristics that each architectural project should possess, as well as being capable of providing tools for understanding the urban landscape and its genesis, and, consequently, methods for its regeneration. The precision of the program for the Christian religious building – the church – on the one hand, with its liturgical and celebratory aspects, and combined with its immaterial poetic component, constitutes a privileged stage for the creativity of the designers, as well as for a teaching/learning relationship that is not limited to the handing down of technical skills only. From both research and teaching experiences – through the analysis of methods, outcomes, and paradigms – it emerged numerous inspirations from the approach of the sacred in the contemporary city. Inspirations address the theme in terms of meanings, methods, forms and poetics, showing its relevance within the training of architects, in an increasingly secularized, fluid, and multicultural society.

This paper considers space and architecture as a mirror of the life of the Church and as an area of evidential value for its historical profile. Therefore, it will try to observe, in space and in its organization, the development of participation, recognized by both precursors and more recent documents as the constitutive dimension of the Church. Among the precursors, the Bolognese Laboratory will be particularly considered to illustrate the reasons that made the archdiocese led by Giacomo Lercaro become a point of international reference on the path of the liturgical reform. Then, considering the Bologna experience, useful criteria can be drawn for an assessment of the current situation, and to measure how, how much and whether participation to the altars has matured into a wider participation of all the people of God in the life of the Church and in the management of its spaces (liturgical, pastoral and educational). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lithuanian Chapel of Our Lady of Šiluva in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D. C. was consecrated in 1966. Thus far this object of sacred heritage has not been examined in Lithuanian historiography. The article reconstructs the history of installing the chapel, reveals the socio-cultural context that influenced it at that time, and discusses the religious, artistic, and political significance of the chapel. With the installation of the Lithuanian chapel in Washington’s Basilica, the devotion to Our Lady of Šiluva extended beyond the Lithuanian diaspora and became part of the devotional culture of all American Catholics. The Neo-Byzantine National Shrine, whose construction started in the early twentieth century, and the Chapel of Our Lady of Šiluva installed in the post-war years reveal the admiration of Americans and Lithuanian Americans for revival styles, as well as the sustainability of decorativeness, ornamentation, and other aesthetic qualities highly esteemed since the time of the Arts and Crafts Movement. During the Cold War years, the Chapel of Our Lady of Šiluva represented Lithuania in one of the most important centres of power of international politics. Along with other political and cultural campaigns, the existence of this place of prayer strengthened the Lithuanian presence in the political and public life of the United States of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Space & Form / Przestrzeń i FORMA is the property of West Pomeranian University of Technology, Department of Architecture & Urban Planning and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A common motif in late medieval and early modern Northern European art is the "pillar-biter." Usually, the pillar-biter is depicted as a man who clings to a column while biting into it, but there are also representations of men and women who embrace or kiss columns. In the iconographic literature, the motif is usually linked to religious hypocrisy and the dissimulation of piety. But why did premodern Europeans associate columns and pillars with religious hypocrisy? To answer this question, the essay explores the pillar-biter motif in four different contexts: visual and linguistic traditions; ecclesiastical discourses and theology; popular piety and material religion; and, lastly, the sea change brought about by the Reformation. The column may seem a mere architectural element to the modern eye, but premodern viewers associated it with a host of religious practices and controversies that have fallen into oblivion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women have been active as architects in Israel since 1921, designing projects of varied types and scales, including synagogues. The first woman to design a modern synagogue in the country was Judith Segall Stolzer, who in 1935, won a prestigious competition for Hadera's central synagogue. A few decades later Genia Averbuch designed three synagogues in a remarkably innovative modern style. These female architects were noteworthy partners in the endeavor to develop a local style in the design of synagogues. This article engages with four synagogues designed by two of the country's first female architects and explores their symbolic style against the built environment of the day. It examines the architectural planning process—references, concepts, and ideas—as well as the unusual commissioning of women as architects for these projects, with an emphasis on their contribution to Israeli culture, the development of a local style in modern architecture, and synagogue design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of prefabricated concrete components in the work of the Polish architect Władysław Pienkowski (1907–1991), which are particularly representative of the author’s signature approach to contemporary sacred architecture. The evolution of the prefabricated components used and their properties are presented through the example of 8 churches of his design. They have been analysed in terms of their individual character, the potential to use similar components in a variety of designs and in terms of their aesthetic value. Contemporary and archived photographs, as well as design drawings from the archives of the architect’s family have been used to illustrate the examples. The presented examples prove that the use of prefabricated elements offers a wide range of options in the creation of architecture. Their repetitive nature, when skilfully used, becomes an asset rather than a hindrance in the design of diverse buildings. Drawing attention to this aspect can not only inspire the creation of new buildings, but also contribute to the revitalisation of existing architectural structures.

Demonstrated in this project is the religious design and symbols inside and outside the Crusaders of the Divine Church of Christ, which had many referents and associations incorporated into intricate symbolic complexes-what some have called “webs of significance”. The purpose of this study is to offer an approach to the interpretation of aesthetic and architectural design and symbols by describing the various referents and associations of a particular item in the culture of which it is a part and by applying this referential complex to the interpretation of specific literary and iconographic examples. It also explored how it represents and re-creates the divine realities in a temporary place in the real world. In its attempt to understand the interplay of aesthetics, architecture, and worship - this study has been limited to the functions of the church design and content with reference to bishop interviews, church photos, and written literature. By providing analysis, the iconographical design within the parish church will contribute to the body of knowledge on Christian Charismatic Renewal’s beliefs and practices.

This article engages with the role of sacred architecture as an embodiment of the conflicts, within a Chinese Muslim ethnic minority group, determined by the dispute upon religious hegemony. Vernacular architecture of a minority group has significant socio-cultural implications and can serve as a tool to measure its integration in the mainstream society. Through an ethnographic study focusing upon the Hui, a Muslim minority community of Xi’an, in Communist China and their sacred architecture, it indicates that the architectural archetype of a mosque quite precisely concretizes the religious hegemony, intra group dissonance and acculturative or retentionist trends of Hui community. It demonstrates that certain architectural features, such as the presence or absence of minaret and dome or a Chinese styled roof with carved animals, in the mosque clearly mirror the loci of religious authority of its adherents. It proposes that architectural characteristics can play the role of preservers and charters of cultural identity of a minority group and can equivocally serve as symbols of retention or acculturation in the mainstream society. By applying a socio-architectural approach, it is meant to explore that how mosques architecture in today’s China reflects the intra group dissonance of the Hui community and how shifting paradigms of religiously oriented hegemony are working to eradicate the Sino-Muslim historical architectural relics.

Copyright of Przestrzeń Urbanistyka Architektura is the property of Cracow University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this interview, conducted by issue editors Frank Bosman and Alexander D. Ornella in August 2022, Ken Wong discusses the relationship between video game design, video game aesthetics, religious imagery, and cultural storytelling. He discusses how (secularized) religious tropes, ideas, and images can become part of the game design and the story of the game, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. He discusses how the ideas of “giving back”, atonement, and forgiveness can become elements of successful video games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest site of the Holy Land, underwent a major architectural transformation initiated by the Muslim Umayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān (r. 66-86 AH/ 685-705 CE). Through his comprehensive construction program, ‘Abd al-Malik established the architectural importance of the Sacred Rock and elevated it as one of the fundamental Islamic religious foci. The vision behind the mosque’s design is filled with religious enthusiasm and serves as a powerful architectural manifestation of ‘Abd al-Malik’s political manifesto rooted in religious expression. This study provides an analysis of the process of creating the general shape of the ‘Holy’ within the sacred architecture of the al-Aqsa Mosque and its reflection in the general image of Bayt al-Maqdis’ skyline. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach, re-examining and reevaluating the historical literature and connecting it to archaeological observations and architectural coordination relevant to the subject of the study. The findings of this research shed light on the design concept of the al-Aqsa Mosque and make a significant contribution to clarifying our understanding of the early Islamic architecture of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectus is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Revealing the place addresses the referential role of sacred architecture elements that dot the Portuguese Atlantic coastline in contemporary architectural pedagogy and in the practice of architecture. The long Portuguese coastline, the case study of the research, is dotted with sacred architectural elements—sanctuaries, churches, chapels and crosses—oriented according to both compositional and canonical cosmological principles. The character of the space of articulation between the land and the sea is made evident by the tension between the sacred elements and the landscape. This paper addresses this relation, resorting to decomposition interpretative drawings and arguments that uncover the formal relationships between sacred architecture and the landscape, proposing an interpretative reading of the built elements that combines type and place. Furthermore, it discusses the transposition of composition principles from sacred to secular architecture, building an analogy for the typological transfer process, considering the transference of existing qualities in sacred architecture for contemporary architectural projects. The hypothesis discussed is that the decoding of the architectural composition of sacred elements in the landscape remains useful both in the pedagogy and practice of architecture. Finally, it is evidenced that this exercise allows us to transfer formal relations established between sacred buildings and the landscape for contemporary architectural practice, revealing type and topos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic panels produced since 1960 in the “Kamionka” cooperative in Łysa Góra are one of the most versatile materials used for architectural decorations. They made it possible to create small “ceramic accents” as well as large-scale and monumental works. Compositions made of Łysa Góra panels, at first found mainly in secular buildings, started to appear in church architecture from the mid-1960s. The earliest was the cladding on the facade of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Piaseczno by Krzysztof Henisz in 1965. The article presents realisations found in Polish and foreign churches. Most of the discussed compositions were created in the period when new rules of organisation resulting from the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council were introduced into church interiors. This important theme is also highlighted in the article. The last mentioned work - the altar wall in Harmęże by Anna Praxmayer - was created in the 21st century, just before the definitive demise of the factory in Łysa Góra.

Copyright of Housing Environment / Środowisko Mieszkaniowe is the property of Chair of Housing Environment, Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The evaluations of the Dominican church in Košice in the specialist literature have been controversial. It has been dated between the last third of the 13th century and the last third of the 14th century. Its style might have stemmed from Silesian and Polish, Danubian or Parlerian architecture. Links to the Danubian style and the date of the establishment in the first quarter or third of the 14th century, suggested by Jaroslav Bureš, as early as 1965, appear to be the most convincing. The current state of knowledge of the field of Central-European architecture provides further arguments in support of his opinion. The latest findings, coming from architectural and historical research into the church in Košice, have raised a whole range of questions. They include a fragment of a partition in the Eastern part of the nave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Seminare Learned Investigations / Seminare. Poszukiwania naukowe is the property of Francis de Sales Scientific Society / Towarzystwo Naukowe Franciszka Salezego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Lindsay Jones developed the concept of "ritual-architectural event", according to which the meaning of a sacred building depends upon the participant's experience of it in the course of the rituals they perform. Starting from such approach, and taking the Islamic dome as my subject-matter, I examine the correlations that link architectural forms, ritual performance, and participants' experience into a whole. I first survey a corpus of images related to domes in two types of manuscripts (poetry, and pilgrimage narratives), showing how these images suggest cosmological patterns. The second part unfolds these representations, proceeding from cosmology to ritual. The third and last part focuses on circumambulation as the ritual experience that best embodies the previously identified cosmological patterns. The connection between the three dimensions discussed here is ascertained by the fact that the combination of circle and square structures relates both to Islamic graphic representations and ritual practices. An aesthetic/spiritual experience is awakened both in the mind and in the bodily senses of the viewer/practitioner: When Muslims stand under a dome, in front of the mihrab, thus facing Mecca, and when they behold the dome under which they stand, the view of this circular space possibly translates into a kind of mental and spiritual circumambulation. The conclusion suggests that the meaning attached to sacred architecture places is triggered by a complex of interactions between patterns referred respectively to the mind, bodily actions, and cultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unpublished legacy of Valentin von Saebisch (1577–1657), arguably Silesia’s most eminent architect in the former half of the seventeenth century, includes a set of four drawings representing a Lutheran church design. This post-and-beam design stands out from other examples of this kind with its richness and variety. This important testimony to church architecture, perished in the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War, has yet to be fully investigated by researchers. The design by Saebisch is a perfect testimony to the reception of Prague architecture created under the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) and the technical standards used by the architects of that time.