Introduction

摘要

This special issue of Interiors contains seven articles which approach the unique challenges presented by designing spaces for the purposes of shared religious worship or private reflection. As a group, these studies examine such issues as the impact of ritual and rhythm on the experience of interior spaces, the role of narrative and abstraction in the special circumstances presented by this typology, and the significance of light and landscape in the quest for community or for what is often referred to, appropriately enough, as "spiritual illumination." Drawing on the conventions of traditional religious architecture and on a range of new formal languages associated with Modernism, the examples considered here range widely across architectural "styles," offering an array of fascinating alternatives to the challenges presented by varying programs, design conditions, and human experiences.