Studies on the design of a room for worship

Abstract

The following thesis is an investigation into the design of spaces to be used for religious worship. It will look at a space created in terms of the historical context to which it will belong, and will study those elements which most appropriately communicate a place of worship for today. The design is specifically for a small chapel viewed through the requirements of the Catholic Church. It is based on the recent trends in Christian worship and more importantly on Catholic attitudes since Vatican II. The intention is to create a space into which many people may bring their god with them for worship, and also a space that might be comfortable for someone not familiar with the Church. It looks at the building in terms of a return to the early notion of worshiping in a house as early Christians did and at the same time it provides a path made up of a series of gateways through which one passes toward a sacred center.