Questions About Sacred Architecture [PAST EVENT]

Many members of the architectural and academic cultures hesitate to use the so-called “S” Word. The “S” word, either “sacred” or “spiritual,” is avoided in favor of words that are less suggestive of religious belief such as “immeasurable,” “ineffable,” “oceanic,” “absence,” and “void.” But can one really uncouple the act of belief—the coming together as a community of believers—from the space in which that gathering happens, and why it happens? This presentation explores the hesitancy to use the “S” word, the nature of “sacred architecture” versus an “architecture of the sacred,” the growing interest of young architects and students to explore the spiritual in their work, and the place of architects and architecture in creating sacred space.

Biography

Michael J. Crosbie, Ph.D., FAIA, is Professor of Architecture at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. He served as the editor-in-chief of Faith & Form: The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art, and Architecture since 2001. Dr. Crosbie is the author, contributor, or editor of more than 70 books on architecture. The author of hundreds of articles on architecture, design, and practice, Dr. Crosbie is a frequent contributor to international print and online publications, and lectures on architecture throughout the US and abroad. A registered architect, Dr. Crosbie was the Walton Visiting Critic at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning in 2015, and serves on the board of Sharing Sacred Spaces.