Michael J Crosbie, a professor of architecture at the University of Hartford and an esteemed fellow of The American Institute of Architects, gave this enthralling lecture on sacred architecture. Crosbie’s passion on this subject resonates from his intrigue to explore the role of the architect in constructing what is considered “sacred” in architecture. He began his lecture by sharing his experience with the topic and revealing that many people are uncomfortable with the term “sacred”, and the need to design sacred space has been questioned lately by those who believe it may not be at all necessary to need a building to be religious. To show an example of this, there is a priest who meets his congregation in a tavern and refers to his meetings …show more content…
In Crosbie’s own opinion, a space itself cannot be sacred, it is only through its setting as a place of gathering that architecture can become sacred. He also described the term “ineffable space” to describe the highest experiential quality architecture may provoke. This quality of ineffable space may only be attained when a work reaches a maximum intensity. Therefore, the design of a space can create a medium for sacredness to aspire, in other words, architecture creates a place, a physical setting to help people experience the sacred. Crosbie continued by delving into technicalities of what is actually expected form an architect. His main point is that the main role of an architect is to situate other humans in space. The lecturer ended with his insight on whether the taboo of the ‘sacred’ is lifting, as he concludes that it appears to be. Millennials seem to not be willing to censor when considering religious values and concepts, instead they display a thirst of curiosity about them. Newer generations are turning away from institutions because of their rigid and authoritarian structure, and instead seek experiences that are more genuine. These experiences have shifted to emphasis on mind-body connections that arise from practices such as meditation. More people are striving to live more genuine spiritual lives, and as a result are more willing to share this dimension of