Religious architecture for me, has invariably been personal, instead of catering to a particular higher being; of curated spaces decorated with divine light and an aura of spirituality that offers to bear the burden of your worries for a little while, cleansing and calming your soul.
As we progressed into the modern world, so have our spiritual spaces, from minimal, non-denominational buildings to museum-like, grand edifices. I am reminded of Le Corbusier’s last completed building in Europe, The Convent of La Tourette, set on slopping green hills, and unique in its architecture of a pious dwelling catering to silent monks. In the late architect’s own words—"(The intention was) to give the monks what men today need most: silence and peace...this monastery does not show off; it is on the inside that it lives."
