religion and place
Chthonian Power
This is a myth/legend where dwellings are related to the underworld. In many cases this I specifically the spirits of the underworld.
Yo-Fu Tan - From Place To Placelessness
Quote 1 - "whereas a sacred natural feature is location-specific, a sacred building, such as a Christian church, can, in principle, be raised almost anywhere with appropriate rites of consecration" (p.11)
The author is correct when he states a "natural feature is location-specific" because for this specific feature to be natural there cannot have been any choice on where it is located. This also means that a sacred building such as a Christian church can in fact be built anywhere necessary as its built by humans and therefore we decide upon the location. However the location of these buildings is a sensitive decision because if too many Christian churches are raised in several location the importance of this building will be significantly reduced. As a result I agree with curtain aspects of this quote but the second statement is arguable.
Quote 2 - "To educated Europeans, natural features may be valued for ecological and aesthetic reasons, but that does not make them sacred. If, in vestigial faith, anything is still regarded as not wholly of this world, it is the consecrated building: a shrine, church or synagogue" (p. 14).
The idea that a persons aesthetics does not make them sacred can definitely be applied to other religions as somebodies faith is not measured by how they look or come across to other people.
Can sacredness change/enhance the spirit of a place?
The Sacredness of a particular place can make an affect on the way people perceive it. It can make people respect the place significantly more than they world a regular everyday place but I personally do not feel it can change or even enhance the it. The place may even be more enjoyable or special to people because of the sacredness but this does not necessarily mean it is any different. First impressions of a place are judged on its physical appearance and this will never be changed purely on the level of sacredness.
Representing sacredness
Within a building I would express how sacred the space is by the use of natural light to alter the perception people have. This would make the person view the space how I want them too in order for them to appreciate the architecture fully.
This is a myth/legend where dwellings are related to the underworld. In many cases this I specifically the spirits of the underworld.
Yo-Fu Tan - From Place To Placelessness
Quote 1 - "whereas a sacred natural feature is location-specific, a sacred building, such as a Christian church, can, in principle, be raised almost anywhere with appropriate rites of consecration" (p.11)
The author is correct when he states a "natural feature is location-specific" because for this specific feature to be natural there cannot have been any choice on where it is located. This also means that a sacred building such as a Christian church can in fact be built anywhere necessary as its built by humans and therefore we decide upon the location. However the location of these buildings is a sensitive decision because if too many Christian churches are raised in several location the importance of this building will be significantly reduced. As a result I agree with curtain aspects of this quote but the second statement is arguable.
Quote 2 - "To educated Europeans, natural features may be valued for ecological and aesthetic reasons, but that does not make them sacred. If, in vestigial faith, anything is still regarded as not wholly of this world, it is the consecrated building: a shrine, church or synagogue" (p. 14).
The idea that a persons aesthetics does not make them sacred can definitely be applied to other religions as somebodies faith is not measured by how they look or come across to other people.
Can sacredness change/enhance the spirit of a place?
The Sacredness of a particular place can make an affect on the way people perceive it. It can make people respect the place significantly more than they world a regular everyday place but I personally do not feel it can change or even enhance the it. The place may even be more enjoyable or special to people because of the sacredness but this does not necessarily mean it is any different. First impressions of a place are judged on its physical appearance and this will never be changed purely on the level of sacredness.
Representing sacredness
Within a building I would express how sacred the space is by the use of natural light to alter the perception people have. This would make the person view the space how I want them too in order for them to appreciate the architecture fully.