Transcending with Tea an Interfaith Center for Spiritual Wellness and Understanding
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Transcending with Tea An Interfaith Center for Spiritual Wellness and Understanding by Erin Radetich B.A. in Art History and Religious Studies, May 2013, University at Buffalo A Thesis Submitted to The faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (formerly the Corcoran College of Art + Design) Of The George Washington University In partial fulfillment of the requirement For the degree of Master of Arts May 15, 2016 Thesis directed by Christy Schlesinger Associate Professor of Interior Design Nadia Volchansky Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture and Design © Copyright 2016 by Erin Radetich All rights reserved. ii Dedication I would like to dedicate this to my family who have continuously encouraged supported me throughout my education, to J.P. and my friends who have unwavering faith in me. iii Abstract of Thesis Transcending with Tea The art of tea or "teaism" is grounded in recognizing the polarity between the spiritual and material worlds with the goal of finding harmony and pause. The exploration of the metaphysical realities and principles of Japanese tea rituals can also be discovered in creating sacred space within the mundane to achieve harmony amidst the dissonance of the secular world. Religion, like tea, is universal, as it is intimately associated with groups of people and cultures throughout the world. Today, religion is at the forefront of divides and there is the need for tolerance and understanding. While people have used religion to divide, tea brings people together. The Japanese way of tea, imbued with deeper spiritual meaning, can help bridge this divide as those sharing in tea will meditate upon the universal values that the tea ceremony promotes. Both the tea ceremony and religion consist of individual meditation and communal ceremony. A college campus is the ideal place to bring people together to learn about each other’s faiths, as well as encourage spirituality amongst students. Not only will providing students a place for personal prayer and meditation equate to beneficial outcomes in their lives, but providing it within the context of an interfaith center will have positive outcomes on society as these students set foot into the world. A modern tea room based on the Japanese tea ritual will complete a place that is both secular and sacred and provide the missing link in bringing those with differing and shared beliefs together to take part in a ritual that promotes spirituality and moral values shared by religions. The spaces within the interfaith center will also provide a place for students to disconnect iv from their technologically connected lives. They will be able to find respite through the meditation spaces. Exploring Japanese tea history and the ritual will lay the groundwork for establishing a modern tea house based on those principles. Religious pluralism, architecture and religious rituals will help to establish the programming for the interfaith center. Rituals are important aspects of both religions and the tea ceremony and are part of both the sacred and secular realm, public and private (or individual or group). Introspection and reflection through meditation and prayer are central to the design of the space in both areas of the tea room, such as the outer and inner waiting areas, as well as in the spaces dedicated to spirituality and religion. The juxtaposition and boundary between secular and sacred space will be explored. Nature, which is meditated upon in Japanese tea rituals and is also important to many religions, is also an important theme. The method of research includes historical writings on tea rituals and theoretical essays on philosophy of tea and religious influences. Studying sacred spaces such as synagogues, churches, mosques and temples, and how people use those spaces, will give insight into how users interact within them. Case studies of a multi-faith center, interfaith chapel and modern tea house will all provide programmatic and design precedence for the final design. v Table of Contents Dedication…………………………………………………………………………….…..iii Abstract of Thesis……………………………………………………..………………….iv List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………vii Thesis Statement……………………………………………….…………………...….….1 Chapter 1: Framework I. Tea and Religion: A Common Ground…………………………….………….2 II. The Japanese Tea Ceremony……………………………………………..…...7 III. Interreligious Dialogue and Spirituality Today…………………………...…30 IV. Religion and Spirituality on College Campuses…………….……………….40 Chapter 2: Design Conditions I. Case Studies……………………………………………………………...…..45 II. Site……………………………………………………………….…………..66 III. Methodology……………………………………………………………..…..78 IV. Design Research………………………………………….……………..……80 V. Program…………………………….………………………………………...89 VI. Design……………….……………………………………………………….92 VII. Materials……………………………………………………………………109 Chapter 3: Results I. Final Reflections……………………………….……………………..…….113 II. Bibliography…………………………..…...……...………………………..114 vi List of Figures Figure 1 Shared Elements of Tea and Religion Diagram ................................................................ 5 Figure 2 Interior of tea room from the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association of Washington ...... 10 Figure 3 Tea House Layout with Numerical Steps Diagram ......................................................... 14 Figure 4 Plan of a Standard Tea House Diagram .......................................................................... 15 Figure 5 A Roji Path to the tea house in Tenryu-Ji Temple in Sagano, Kyoto ............................. 16 Figure 6 Outer Waiting Hut ........................................................................................................... 16 Figure 7 Illustration of a Tsukubai and Adjacent Stones .............................................................. 19 Figure 8 Illustration of the Nijriguchi (guest door) into Tea House .............................................. 21 Figure 9 Illustration of the Stone Arrangement before Entering the Tea House ........................... 21 Figure 10 Tokonoma (Alcove) with Kakejikku (Hanging Scroll) at Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association of Washington............................................................................................................ 24 Figure 11 Tatami Mat Layouts ...................................................................................................... 26 Figure 12 Subdued Lighting in a Tea Room Interior. Source: Decoholic Interior Design ........... 29 Figure 13 Number of Religious Adherents per Largest World Religions Diagram ...................... 32 Figure 14 Shared Elements of Religions ....................................................................................... 35 Figure 15 Main Hall at the University of Toronto Multi-faith Centre .......................................... 48 Figure 16 Meditation Room at the University of Toronto Multi-faith Centre .............................. 48 Figure 18 A Celebration at the University of Toronto Multi-faith Centre .................................... 51 Figure 17 Ablution Facilities at the University of Toronto Multifaith Centre .............................. 51 Figure 19 Exterior of the University of Toronto Multifaith Centre .............................................. 51 Figure 20 Site Plan of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX .............................................................. 54 Figure 21 Exterior View of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ...................................................... 54 Figure 22 Plan of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ...................................................................... 56 Figure 23 Hindu Prayer Mats in the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ............................................... 56 Figure 24 Interior View of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ....................................................... 58 Figure 25 Light Shining into the Apse Area of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ........................ 58 Figure 26 Aerial View of the Location of the Interfaith Chapel, Dallas, TX ................................ 59 Figure 27 Model of “Tea Houses” by Swatt/Miers Architects .................................................... ..61 Figure 28 Bathroom Adjoining the Visioning and Meditation Houses ......................................... 62 Figure 29 Exterior of “Tea Houses.” ............................................................................................. 62 Figure 30 Interior of the Meditation House from “Tea Houses.” .................................................. 65 Figure 31 Bamboo Lending Shade to the “Visioning” House from “Tea Houses.” ...................... 65 Figure 32 Site Option 1: 743 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, Aerial View .......................................... 67 Figure 33 Site Option 1: 743 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, Exterior Façade .................................... 67 Figure 34 Site Option 2: 38 North Street, Buffalo, NY, Aerial View .......................................... 69 Figure 35 Site Option 2: 38 North Street, Buffalo, NY, Exterior Façade ..................................... 69 Figure 36 Townsend Hall, C. 1920’s ............................................................................................. 71 Figure 37 University at Buffalo South Campus Map .................................................................... 72 Figure 38 Site Diagrams ................................................................................................................ 74 Figure 39 Townsend Hall, Front Exterior Façade ........................................................................