Architecture is experience.

Man experiences the Architecture within which he lives, works, plays and worships. As a necessity this experience must include a successful response to the needs of its inhabitants in order to fulfill its stated and intended purposes. In this sense man experiences his Architecture in the physical realm of its existence. Yet Architecture is an experience of the spirit. Architecture, through its presence, must elevate man, beyond the physical sense, and strive to glorify the inner being.

In the opening section of this thesis I will briefly examine a few ancient ruins in an effort to explore the spiritual nature of Architecture. Following this exploration I will then move into the design portion of the thesis. The project is a theological library and scholar’s complex located on Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River.