Spiritual Forum
The project is developed as a Thesis for the Master of
Architecture program at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York.
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The Spiritual Forum is located in the center of Berlin, in the new, old capital of Germany.
Purpose of the project:
- The Spiritual Forum brings together all religions in an pluralistic dialogue.
- Because of the contemporary developments in scientific laboratories
and religious life the Forum focuses on the relation between science and religion as complimentary. Science and
religion are interdependent vocations. The concept
of science is movement, change and transformation itself, whereas
religions are centers of life, fixed points where
steady meaning can develop.
- Global research illustrates the climatic change and the threat to
earth ecology through today's cultural and economical
models. An ecological sustainable lifestyle is very contrary to our
current culture. The energy which could bring about
the necessary big change in consciousness of the people is a
spiritual energy.
- The understanding of an interdependent relation of science, religion
and nature should give a vision for survival of
nature and humanity for the future.
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In its location in the center of Berlin, south of the Tiergarten park,
the Spiritual Forum harmoniously extends the cultural life of the
central part of the city. The Forum creates a functional circle around
the open middle, the Tiergarten.
The Forum is organized in three layers:
The transcendent layer states the relation of science and religion and
the relation of the main religions to each other. Religious temple and
churches are organized around an plaza. The linear building of science,
a museum of science, evolution and development, ends in an gallery which
connects the buildings around the plaza and transforms them to the
higher level. The plaza is open to nature, to the park . The undefined
inner line which the gallery forms represents the unpresentable, the
last principle or personality out of which complexity emerges.
The city layer is organized around the central theme of the transcendent
layer. The city layer resembles the functional program which leads
toward the central space. The program includes functions of religions,
science and urban life.
The third layer is the underground labyrinth; it stands for the unknown,
the unpredictable, for chaos and at the same time it connects all
functions and buildings. It connects every Building to every Building.
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There are three condition of transformation or movement:
- the increase of order towards the central space
- the transformation towards the higher level
- evolving of complexity out of the undefined cente
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Functional Program of the Forum:
- Protestant Christian Church
- Moslem Mosque
- Catholic Church
- Jewish Synagogue
- Buddhist Temple
- Orthodox Christian Church
- Hinduist Temple
The churches and temple have prayer rooms for the Worship-service, community facilities, teaching and lecture rooms.
- Passage Way as Museum of Science, Evolution and Development.
- Park represents the natural inside the Forum and on the central plaza.
- Buildings with spaces for denominations of mayor religions, spaces for smaller religions and administrative spaces are inside the central area.
- Interfaith Hall is remote from the central space, as a meeting and lecture hall for all religions.
The part of the program which reflect both, science and religion:
- Laboratories: computer laboratories and scientific research and experimental laboratories
- Libraries: a library of science and a library of religion are interconnected and combined with a complex for study rooms.
- Planetarium: a combination of projection and Telescope observation.
- Film Center: a film library for cultural, religious and scientific documentation's with smaller projection rooms.
- Greenhouse: an experimental-closed system like the Biosphere2 project in Arizona.
In regard to the community aspect there are:
- Housing
- Hotel
- Restaurants and Shops
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