Espace de l'Espérance

Religion (and misunderstanding of religion) plays a large role in the current state of global social unrest. In parcitular, tension between practitioners of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity seems to be unavoidably high. Not only that, but populations declaring themselves as followers of these three organized religions are expected to increase significantly over the next 50 years. This thesis aims to address the underlying tensions between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity through the use of architecture. It is an experimentation with architectural forms, spaces, and elements that can be seen as potentially relatable and understandable to all three religions. At the same time, the thesis also searches for the sublime (as tends to be the case with religious architecture). It is an experimentation with ineffable space, space that communicates deeply with human emotion and aspiration. The design is meant to provide a 'window to the sacred.' In this way, contemporary religious architecture can act as a catalyst for education and unification in the hopes of the banishment of ignorance and hatred and the prosperity of peace and understanding.