After successful completion of the course, students are able to evaluate sacred buildings and spaces of different religions, their effects and perception, appreciation or rejection according to various aspects. The focus is on sacred buildings realized in the 21st century and which are not necessarily identifiable as such from the outside.

Sacred buildings, which have been among the icons and most influential projects in architectural history from the very beginning, are not losing their significance - and brisance - in the new millennium. Worldwide, we are confronted with the trend that churches, synagogues and mosques are now being designed and built in a decidedly contemporary architectural language. But is this development also synonymous with the loss of familiar architectural features, their symbolism and the claim to them? How do the faithful deal with this tendency of the 21st century?

Within the framework of two study days (31.01. and 01.02.2023), these trends, tendencies and opinions as well as current competitions, plans and examples of conversion and re-use of sacred architecture of the recent past will be presented and discussed. Experts from architecture, culture, religion, science and politics are invited to the lectures. On the one hand, they will present proposed solutions, but on the other hand, they will also show the associated reactions of the affected communities. At the same time, the focus will be on the actions of architects, planners and all those responsible.

Sacral architecture in transition?

The students will not only passively participate in the lectures, but must also be able to critically assess the presented contents. Independent and targeted research must therefore be a self-evident part of the job!

The LVA will take place in blocks in the form of "study days" at 31.01.2023 und 01.02.2023  von 09:30 bis 19:00   online. 

 zoom link: 

https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/92166574679?pwd=OWZqd2ZzelhFaFBoUVpUU1NSUGNNZz09

 Meeting-ID: 921 6657 4679

Passwort: UU5vFx5v

 Attendance at the lectures is compulsory and participants must be prepared to actively participate in online discussions and to submit oral statements after the individual lectures.

To prove an independent and critical examination of the topic "Interreligious and Intercultural Architecture", all participants have to write a kind of project paper (written submission via TUWEL):

Project paper : two to max. four A4 pages, min. 4000 to max. 6000 characters continuous text (incl. footnotes, and bibliography and figures)