Chapel Design
RISD Sacred Space
About the Site The site is on 20 Westminister Street, in Providence, Rhode Island. It is located directly across from RISD Fleet Library and a large dormitory --a highly trafficked area of RISD campus.
The building has two entrances, The main door of the first floor is a printing store. The other one which leads to an elevator and staircases connecting to upper floors, this area was not to be included on the plan. In this three-week assignment, we were to transform the first floor into a chapel or a spiritual space for RISD students while keeping the exterior facade and the distinctive large windows as much as possible |
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I decided to design a sacred space for all religion that can provide the need of those diverse RISD student body, because RISD students need some spiritual relaxation and meditation. I am very inspired by Northeastern University's Multi-faith Center and Fay Jones' Thorncrown Chapel, and I wish to use some of those elements in my work.
The original concept that I derived from meditation is nature, because it brings people back to origin and the green gives people fresh air and relaxation, but it is such a broad concept and I will need to narrow it down. From the concept of nature, it changed to evolution. It may contradict with Bible's Creation Theory, but instead of physical evolvement, I want to present more of spiritual development, which would better word as metamorphosis rather than evolution.
When the students walk in from the entrance, it is a one direction flow, and the steps are the key of the design element, it is rising to a higher level and also is a "step up" in spiritual sense, from rough to smooth.
The giant stairs is build between the meditation chapel and lobby; the corner of the ceiling gives people a dim glance at something up there in the chapel, but they don't see the full vision unless they walk up the stairs. This way, the chapel is more mysterious and more inviting.
The trees in the building are the nature dividers for the students, it relaxes them and isolates them form other school works, pressure, and other unpleasant things on their mind. Also, besides those individual meditation rooms, they can hide behind those nature dividers to meditate.
I want to create more interaction between the upper floor and lower floor of the chapel. The lower floor has a counseling office and a group activity room and other "spiritually under-developed" facilities, connecting by the trees that penetrate through the floor with the upper group meditation chapel.
I personally is a big fan of greens and nature, and I did put some of my personal taste and favors into this assignment, but I truly wish that the design can sooth the stress of people by the power of nature. Although sticking to a complicated and broad concept as nature is very tough, but I don't want to give that up so easily, and I hope in the future I can refine this concept better and better.
The original concept that I derived from meditation is nature, because it brings people back to origin and the green gives people fresh air and relaxation, but it is such a broad concept and I will need to narrow it down. From the concept of nature, it changed to evolution. It may contradict with Bible's Creation Theory, but instead of physical evolvement, I want to present more of spiritual development, which would better word as metamorphosis rather than evolution.
When the students walk in from the entrance, it is a one direction flow, and the steps are the key of the design element, it is rising to a higher level and also is a "step up" in spiritual sense, from rough to smooth.
The giant stairs is build between the meditation chapel and lobby; the corner of the ceiling gives people a dim glance at something up there in the chapel, but they don't see the full vision unless they walk up the stairs. This way, the chapel is more mysterious and more inviting.
The trees in the building are the nature dividers for the students, it relaxes them and isolates them form other school works, pressure, and other unpleasant things on their mind. Also, besides those individual meditation rooms, they can hide behind those nature dividers to meditate.
I want to create more interaction between the upper floor and lower floor of the chapel. The lower floor has a counseling office and a group activity room and other "spiritually under-developed" facilities, connecting by the trees that penetrate through the floor with the upper group meditation chapel.
I personally is a big fan of greens and nature, and I did put some of my personal taste and favors into this assignment, but I truly wish that the design can sooth the stress of people by the power of nature. Although sticking to a complicated and broad concept as nature is very tough, but I don't want to give that up so easily, and I hope in the future I can refine this concept better and better.
Objective
Use the first floor of the building and transform it into a chapel or a spiritual space for RISD students, If needed, the space next to the building where the greens are can also be used.
Do not modify the entrance and lobby with elevator and staircases, it leads to the upper floor, which is not part of the assignment. Also, please keep the exterior facade and the distinctive large window as much as possible.
Program Included:
Do not modify the entrance and lobby with elevator and staircases, it leads to the upper floor, which is not part of the assignment. Also, please keep the exterior facade and the distinctive large window as much as possible.
Program Included:
- Lobby
- Counseling Office
- Group Activity Room
- Individual Meditation Area
- Chapel/Spiritual Space