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Virginia Tech

Espace de l'Espérance

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

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.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Architecture
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Architecture
Department dc:contributor.department
Architecture
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2018

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Flesner, Collin Michael
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Breitschmid, Markus
  • Emmons, Paul F.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:16511
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83881

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Flesner, Collin Michael. Espace de l'Espérance. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/83881