Composing Liturgical Space : A Design Thesis
MATTHEW BARLEY
I want to begin by asking you to think about your weekly church service and the space in which you worship . Does the spatial design work with or against the liturgical worship experience ? What if there was a way to spatially communicate the progression of feelings we experience within the different parts of liturgy ? Is there a way to use architecture as a tool to gain a deeper understanding of God and how He is transforming us by worship and liturgy ? These are the questions I address in my Interior Architecture design thesis at Rhode Island School of Design .
Liturgy , or Christian worship service , is composed of six components : The Call to Worship , Atonement , Supplication , Proclamation , Eucharist , and Benediction . Although different denominations of Christianity practice each component with varying levels of emphasis , all have the same underlying structure to the service .
In this article , I will briefly outline the six components of trinitarian liturgy and offer a possible design solution that complements each component , all with the hopes of bringing people closer to God and uniting the body of Christ .
Design Solution for the Six Components of a Worship Service
The Call to Worship
The liturgical service formally begins when clergy or an elder summons the congregation to worship and asks God for His presence during service .
Supplication Matthew Barley ’ 16
I have designed the the Call to Worship space with four sides , to remind the participants that God is drawing people from the four corners of this earth and the community to worship Him . In this space people should feel deeply meditative as they prepare to worship God . To facilitate this , the space will be dark with a few candles burning . Two walls will be covered with mirrors from floor to ceiling , with semi opaque glass suspended in front of the mirrors , creating the illusion of an infinite box . This material effect will suggest that the participant is part of a large history of saints that have come before and those in the future .
Transitions
To facilitate my correlated liturgical spatial experience , I am proposing the congregation move from space-to-space as they progress through the service . When it is time to transition to the next part of the liturgy , the congregants will sing as they move to the new architectural space . As the congregation becomes acquainted with the spaces these movements and songs should appear like waltzing through the architecture .
The Atonement
When believers privately and / or publicly confess their sins and ask for forgiveness . Typically , Catholics and Orthodox Christians confess to a priest , whereas Protestants confess silently to God .
This space would consist of three separate confession areas . Each confesion area will feel like a hallway that ends with the participant kneeling at a large glass window . They will be constricted , yet , bathed in light . Here is where the participant confesses sin ; when they are finished they turn and leave the space , and the light that once blinded them now illuminates their path .
Supplication
This is when prayers are offered for the congregation , for the regional body of Christ , and for believers around the world . It is common for tithes and offerings to be taken during Supplication , as believers show their gratitude towards God for the blessings He has given them .
This space is designed around two primary functions , Prayers and the sacrament of baptism . It will be much brighter than the previous two spaces , signifying that the church has been washed clean of sins and is now in the presence of God . Because people will be primarily praying in this space , incense will be burnt to signify the congregation ’ s prayers ascending . The upward moving smoke will be a visual manifestation
20 CORNERSTONE Magazine