Cross-Cultural Exchange and The Infinite Place

Abstract

All places in the world have multiple levels of existence. Of these, we can establish a fairly clear distinction between the specific and the universal. Within the uniqueness of a place's specific, local qualities can be found the common universals that they represent. Here lies the shared experience of all mankind. When people travel, they come into contact with new places and people with whom they have mutually unfamiliar experiences. When they share these experiences, an important cross-fertilization occurs in which people learn not only about other possible existences, but also more about their own. Even more importantly, they gain new vantage points from which to examine universal truths and to know a poetic existence. This thesis is an exploration of this exchange and how it can reach its fullest potential using the means of architecture.