Genius loci in contemporary sacral architecture

Genius Loci in the Space-Age

In Roman mythology a Genius loci was the protective spirit of a place. In contemporary usage, "genius loci" usually refers to a location's distinctive atmosphere, or a "spirit of place". The concept of "genius loci" has been discussed in modern architecture, but still is much underestimated. When it comes to extreme environment, the situation is even worse. The problem of sensory deprivation in...

Emotional Architecture - A Study of Tadao Ando ’ s Genius Loci Design Philosophy and Design Syntax

Tadao Ando’s design presents the concept of the spirit of place and establishes the nature and soul of architecture. The creation of a situation is to enlighten people and enable them to understand the potential meaning, revealing a state of awareness. Tadao Ando enables people to relate to his emotional design situation that reflects the Zen state of mind inherent in traditional Japanese cultu...

Ancestral Elements in Malay Indigenous Heritage as Genius Loci

Malay intangible heritage went through numerous stages in its evolution and shaped by an amalgamation of various influences; one of which was the Malay-Polynesian belief system with a strong animistic base. The later emergence of Islam introduced new customs and practices where old manteras or incantations are sprinkled with Islamic names and supplications to Islamize, so as to legitimize the r...

Methods of Utilizing Nature in Samples of Iranian Contemporary Architecture

The Opacity of Glass Rethinking Transparency in Contemporary Architecture

In this paper, an exchange of letters between the philosopher Jacques Derrida and architect Peter Eisenman is used as a catalyst to discuss the material qualities of glass and its relationship with the concept of transparency in architecture. In his criticism of an architecture devoid of human qualities, Derrida uses glass, defined through Walter Benjamin’s writings, as a hard and cold material...