We will collect comments for Lectures 7 + 8 under this post.
Citizen Bank Park in particular could be viewed both as a sacred space and a profane space, being both very public and consisting of a vast amount of 'profane' infrastructure - sculpted around a sacred space (the field). Or the entire park could be viewed as profane public, open, very utilitarian (a mere configuration of stairs, seats, restrooms) and the sacred could arguably be the game itself. The argument continues to change if you are a Phillies Phanatic, or a Mets fan, or not a fan of baseball at all.
A final example, as seen from afar the skyline of the city of Philadelphia could be seen as a 'sacred' construction - just look at the debates about height, vista, skyline which followed the building of Liberty One or the more recent Comcast Center, and now it's new twin. However when in Center City the view of the skyline (which can only be seen in its entirety from afar) breaks up, becoming an assemblage of smaller sacred and more vast profane spatial sequences.
This is just an example of how the idea of 'sacred' and 'profane' spaces are found throughout the spaces we live and interact.
Required Questions for Lecture 8:
2) Choose a few of the elements which you find particularly important that make these spaces either sacred or profane and analyze them (are they elements of the space? people in the space? an idea or ideal it exemplifies?) What are they and how do they reinforce your choice?
Weekend Peer Rebuttals
Now that we are further into the semester we have developed the basis of a shared language of space, urbanism and design when looking at cities.
Rebuttals: After posting your answer read (or return to read) your peer's comments, post them questions, inquiries, responses which engage their points, compare or contrast against your own and challenge them to do the same. Revisit the site over the weekend to post rebuttal responses.
Extra Food for Thought:
HINT: Have you missed an assignment? Looking to make up for lost class participation? be sure and post a separate answer to on of the 'Food for Thought' and take advantage of this opportunity to add to the discussion.
A) Can you think of any spaces which are perhaps both sacred and profane, based on your understanding?
B) Challenge one of your classmates choices of sacred or profane space - can you (as in the ball park above) find the profane in the sacred - or vice versa?
Comments For Lecture 7 + 8 are due posted by Friday, February 26th,
Food For Thought + Rebuttals to Peer questions are due by Monday February 29th
This set of lectures are very brief, which allows us the freedom and time to begin to ponder it's linkage with the history of the city, as we have studied it thus far, and to begin the process, as we will in our lectures moving forward, of finding elements of the lectures in the city and built environment around us.
As you read keep in mind the words 'sacred' and 'profane' do not necessarily directly translate to churches and run down corners respectively. The meaning and use of those words have more depth. While a church is perhaps an immediate image of a sacred space, your living room, a community garden, or perhaps home plate at Citizens Bank Park might be representations of deeply rooted 'sacred' places. Additionally, a 'profane' space might not just be a tired old building, it could manifest as profusely public space, a decidedly un-sacred space, or simply primarily utilitarian space - a highway, a stair tower.
A final example, as seen from afar the skyline of the city of Philadelphia could be seen as a 'sacred' construction - just look at the debates about height, vista, skyline which followed the building of Liberty One or the more recent Comcast Center, and now it's new twin. However when in Center City the view of the skyline (which can only be seen in its entirety from afar) breaks up, becoming an assemblage of smaller sacred and more vast profane spatial sequences.
This is just an example of how the idea of 'sacred' and 'profane' spaces are found throughout the spaces we live and interact.
Required Questions for Lecture 8:
1) Give an example of a sacred and a profane space you move through in the city regularly and explain why you chose them.
Weekend Peer Rebuttals
Now that we are further into the semester we have developed the basis of a shared language of space, urbanism and design when looking at cities.
Rebuttals: After posting your answer read (or return to read) your peer's comments, post them questions, inquiries, responses which engage their points, compare or contrast against your own and challenge them to do the same. Revisit the site over the weekend to post rebuttal responses.
Extra Food for Thought:
HINT: Have you missed an assignment? Looking to make up for lost class participation? be sure and post a separate answer to on of the 'Food for Thought' and take advantage of this opportunity to add to the discussion.
A) Can you think of any spaces which are perhaps both sacred and profane, based on your understanding?
Comments For Lecture 7 + 8 are due posted by Friday, February 26th,
Food For Thought + Rebuttals to Peer questions are due by Monday February 29th
23 comments:
Joe R said...
1. In terms of a city space we interact with on a daily basis, I would argue that Temple University and its’ campus can be considered both a scared and a profane space. If we think of Temple’s main campus in terms of an Ancient Greek polis, then the landscape, environment and buildings on the campus can be considered sacred and profane parts of the polis. In terms of sacred spaces, the library, theater, and other lecture halls can be considered sacred spaces because they are each “academic temples” per say. Many of these buildings are even designed in a similar fashion to how the Ancient Greek temples were designed. Take the theater for example, it is raised on a pedestal of steps above its surrounding area to give it more importance. In terms of praising a god, the theater isn’t necessarily doing that but the structure represents the notion of studying theater and performance and one could argue this very notion is sacred to many individuals who are involved in or practice performance. Outside of this, many of the sacred spaces like the lecture halls and other important academic buildings on campus are designed in such a manner so that individuals are able to “meander” around to view the temples and the context of the polis. In terms of a profane space, I would argue all the outside elements on Temple’s campus would fall under this category. All the walkways, food trucks and restaurants could all be considered the profane spaces or the “living city,” where all the activities of daily life take place. All in all, by examining and comparing Temple’s campus to an Ancient Greek polis, it is quite obvious that there are a number of elements that coincide between the two.
2. There are a number of elements that make these spaces sacred and profane. Another example of a sacred space just like the theater is Anderson and Gladfelter. If one were to examine the design of both of these lectures halls it would be fairly easy to classify it as a sacred space. The two buildings were designed with an academic purpose in mind and basically they put not a higher being on a pedestal but rather the ideas of learning and academics. In terms of design, the two buildings are raised above the surrounding areas giving them utmost importance. In fact, these two buildings can be seen from not only across campus but from miles away. This is due to their overwhelmingly large structure. Together they tower over the surrounding area. The two buildings also include a raised wall and somewhat of a tunnel that further exemplifies their importance in terms of academics. The space is also set away from other structures in the surrounding area which further adds to its’ importance. I would conclude that these buildings are sacred based on their design as well as the notions they promote and exemplify.
1. Jefferson Station is a space in Philadelphia that is both profane and sacred. I commute to Temple every day, using the regional train to get to campus, so I'm very familiar with the stations and their many features. It is profane because of its completely utilitarian purpose as public transportation, serving as a building in which travelers come to move around the city or arrive once the traveling is done. At the same time, it can be thought of as sacred when considering the mural built of tiles all along the wall.
2. In the same way roofs were flat in Greece to collect rainwater, many aspects of the station's design have a practical purpose. The entrance to the station is above the actual tracks, which are a floor below and travel through an underground tunnel. There are multiple entrances on the first floor, so in order for travelers from any entrance to see the tracks, the walls surrounding the tracks are all made of glass. Additionally, the only seating area is a large section of benches that face the escalators leading towards the tracks, which have the incoming times of all the trains. That choice in design ensures that everyone that is waiting will be in a spot where they can hear that their train is coming or see it on the list.
Though the train station is mostly profane, there are sacred elements within it. On the lower level by the tracks, all of the walls are decorated in a colorful mural made of tiles. Much like impressionist paintings, the mural seems like a blur of colors until one looks at the entire picture instead of focusing on any single spot. Once you look at the entire picture, the colorful tiles start to take the shape of trees in Autumn by light blue creeks and green hills. A profane design of the walls would have held some sort of practical purpose such as showing the times of the train or being windows to some other section of the station. Instead, the colorful design allows for a sacred reflection amid a profane process.
Chapter 7
1.Is there a connection between our previous discussion on "labor" versus "work"
and the Greek's desire to make two cities - the sacred and the profane?
The connection between the two is very much present. As work is defined by the presence of labor, so too can the sacred be defined by the profane. The way I have drawn this connection is from our previous readings that speak on the need for labor to allow for work and the cycle between the two. This can also be seen in the difference between identification of work versus labor and sacred versus profane. Labor separates itself from work by being tied to the biological process of life and sustaining such process. This is similar to how the profane separates itself from the divine by providing functions and form that sustain and protect biological life. An example of such difference in function and form are the variation of water fountains on Temple Campus. The water filter zones are well maintained, filters changed regularly, offer easy access water bottle filling, and they have counters that let you know how many people have visited the space. On the other hand, the "profane" water fountains are spaces that offer poor water pressure, require pushbar activation, and receive minimal maintenance
1) Give an example of a sacred and a profane space you move through in the city regularly and explain why you chose them.
The profane space I chose is the stairwells of Tuttleman. The stairwells are areas dedicated only to the function of moving up or down the building without the use of elevators. The sacred space I chose is the departments of Tyler School of Art. They are sacred spaces because each one is made to suit the individual needs and specifications of each crafting material and these are made exclusive to Tyler students rather than the whole university.
2)
Some elements that illustrate Tuttleman's stairwells as profane are the size of the area, the lack of non-utilitarian elements, and the lack of comfortable elements. The areas within the stairwell consist of a small amount of space and two stairways going up or down(except the roof and ground floors), every other floor is equipped with vents and air modules, an emergency button, and a sign telling you how many floors until you reach ground level. The stairwells are colored grey and white, possibly to encourage people to move to more exciting parts of the building. The area is also noticeably more quiet than the rest of the building. This does not encourage talking, unless you don't mind being overheard or spied on.
The elements that I thought make Tyler studios(Fabrics, Glass, Sculpture, Jewelry, Ceramics, Painting, and Graphic Design) sacred are the inability to enter the studios due to locks and keycodes, the customs and traditions, and the community of the studios. The locks and keycodes are a sacred element because by requiring prior shared knowledge you allow only certain individuals inside the space and thus limit any unwanted interactions between unwelcome visitors. The spaces are also divided, in terms of using the materials within, based on "seniority" and have certain traditions and customs tied to them. An example of one of these traditions is the inter-departmental critique held in Sculpture each year. The last element, community, is something that is present in the creation process that requires long hours, little food, and success/failure. By working and suffering together a bond is created within these spaces between Tyler students.
Woojae H.
There certainly is a connection between the relationship between “work” and “labor” and between the Greek’s desire to make two cities which are the sacred and the profane. The sacred buildings were built through people’s “work” in order to build an artifact. The profane were built through people’s “labor” in order to sustain necessities. Greeks used the sacred part of their cities just for purpose of religious rituals and that was the purpose of the sacred buildings. Those buildings were not built for their life sustain. They were built through their “work” because they wanted those buildings for their religious purpose. The other parts of their cities, the profane, were built for their life necessities through people’s “labor”. Greeks probably wanted to keep their “work” separate from their “labor” because the purpose of the construction of the sacred buildings were to be special and not to be together with the profane. It clearly relates to the concept of the relationship between the “work” and the “labor”. Buildings that are considered as people’s “work” are built to be the sacred, and buildings that are built through people’s “labor” are built to serve people’s needs.
The sacred and profane space that I choose to write about this week is the square and the Bell Tower located at the center of Temple University Main Campus. There are both sacred and profane qualities found from the square. First, I would like to write about the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower at the square does not really have any functions. It is not necessary for people’s everyday life as well. I assume from those reasons that the tower is not profane, but sacred. The tower just stands there in the square as an artifact. The square is what I really wanted to write about. The square in front of Paley Library on Temple University Main Campus is a space that I pass all the time and is both sacred and profane. The square includes the area around the bell tower and the green area around it. The square is sacred because it is made for the campus to look better. At the same time, the square is also profane. A lot of people spend their free time on the square because there are lots of spaces to sit and rest. When the weather condition meets, people also spend time lying on the grass, reading books, or taking naps. The square is also used when students want to advertise any activities they do, any campaigns they are working on, or any other special activities they are doing. Those reasons stated previously make the square not only sacred but also profane because the space has utilitarian side of it.
Phil S.
Lecture 7:
There is certainly a connection between what we’ve learned about “labor” vs. “work” and the desire of the Greeks to denote certain spaces for profane activities and others for sacred activities. I believe that acts of work (farming, sleeping, home-building) are necessary before we can partake in acts of labor (praying, entertaining, learning). In the same way that young children are told to eat and do their chores (acts of work that keep our bodies and homes in order) before going out to play, so too did mankind have to get his cities in order before he could expand his culture through acts of labor. This is why there is a distinction between profane and sacred spaces in Greek civilization. The sacred spaces come as a result of the profane spaces. They are “extra”, and don’t have to abide by the same rules as profane spaces. Unlike profane spaces, which should be utilitarian in order to meet the needs of the polis, sacred spaces, like Greek Temples, are meant to meet the needs of the gods. This is why Greek architects located their Temples based on their relationship to the mountains and the sky, which are prominent themes in Greek mythology.
Phil S.
Lecture 8:
1: I travel through Temple University every day, more than any other place in the city. In many ways, TU is a city within itself; the dorms are the homes, the walkways and public squares are the meeting-places, the lecture halls and theatres are the places of worship, and the restaurants, police building, and custodial building are all spaces of profanity. This, TU has a host of both Sacred and Profane areas.
2: Based on what we learned in lecture 7, I believe that spaces of sanctity and profanity, including those on TU campus, provide separate yet equal and interdependent functions. For example, we couldn’t have Anderson and Gladfelter lecture halls without having a custodial building to keep them clean, safe, and functional. Likewise, there would be no need for the custodial building if there were not lecture halls to maintain. Thus, the lecture halls, with their professors, students, symbolic architecture, and learning, are sacred spaces. The custodial areas, with tools, workers, and knowledge of maintenance, would be considered profane. This allows us to look as a university in a different light, by giving equal importance to both the sacred spaces and the profane spaces that make them possible.
1. A profane space that i could think of would be Temple University. Its main purpose is to teach a desired major to the students that inhabit it and this creates a space or environment where everyone within it is primarily focused on learning about a desired interest. Therefor its just a bunch of structural buildings that house people who are learning and not really using the space for any other purpose. A more sacred space could be City Hall because the architecture itself is very monolithic making it feel like it serves as a very important building. Also it is a place that has been around for not only a very long time, but it keeps the city controlled and can be seen as the heart of brain of Philadelphia that controls all the different parts. It becomes sacred because of its importance to the city as whole.
2. I feel what makes these places either profane or sacred is based on the program of the space and how people use it. For instance the program of the City Hall is to keep the city in order which becomes a very important quality. While looking at Temple University its purpose is more profane because although it has importance it is not doing anything to support a larger purpose. Another thing can be the architecture itself which can be designed to look important, such as City Hall, or it can be designed strictly to house the necessary needs of learning and not really have any other purpose.
Work is an activity that is intended and conducted through someone’s drive. On the other hand, labor has its schedule, which also can be intended and the activities are done; however, individuals usually have an odd sense that they did not perform the activities. These two concepts have a connection with the Greeks’ desire to build cities characterized by sacred and profane landscapes. Due to the craving by the people from Greece to have sacred and profane cities, the Greeks were involved in a lot of work to design their landscapes according to their mythologies. The Greeks’ wanted the cities to exemplify or portray their mythologies. The Greeks, therefore, were involved in many works and strenuous activities to accomplish their yearnings. Each state in Greece was self-governed and represented a tradition. The ordinary city was considered the profane states, which was also referred to as the profane polis. The profane polis was where everyday activities took place, such as shopping and entertainment. Conversely, when there was a need to embody the Greeks’ religious mythology, the landscape was made sacred through the architectural element, the temple. The temple was the major part of the sacred polis that was not considered a place of worship, but a space for storing artifacts and treasures devoted to the gods.
The space within and surrounding the temple of Apollo at Delphi is a regular route of choice. The sacred space is fascinating as it portrays how the man’s mythology of religion is intertwined with nature in an architecturally designed landscape. Moreover, the holiness being portrayed by the temple of Apollo is overwhelming. The sacred space makes people feel to be in the presence of the gods as someone moves around. The holiness being experienced in this space has made the place to be a calm and beautiful place to be associated with and be a regular visitor. Conversely, the Acropolis of Athens is a profane space that is likewise wonderful to be associated with because it shows the history of the Greeks architectural expertise. Someone can know a lot about the history of Greece simply by being a regular visitor of the Acropolis. The activities being conducted in this space make the place wonderful since it involves many foreign tourists, history students as well as local tourists (The Greeks) who wish to learn more about the ancient buildings and the history of Greece. These two places have unique elements that make them sacred or profane spaces.
For instance, the space that encompasses the temple of Apollo at Delphi has unique elements such as the temple itself, the treasures dedicated to the gods, and the religious people who are associated with the place. These features underscore the need to consider the space sacred because the elements make the natural landscape embody the religious mythology of the Greeks. Moreover, the people associated with the place also enhance the feeling of holiness by conducting themselves in a spiritual manner. As for the Acropolis of Athens, the profane space contains many ancient buildings that have historical significance. In fact, the profane space is considered a citadel that shows the architectural prowess of the ancient Greeks. One such ancient building is the Parthenon. Furthermore, the fact that the Acropolis was constructed on a high rocky projection above the Athens city makes the space outstanding and a tourist attraction site. The profane place is also a learning ground for students studying history. These elements exemplify the position as a profane space.
Lecture 7:
There is definitely a connection between what we have come to understand through these lectures as “work” and “labor” spaces and the order of Greece. I think in the structure of a city it is important to have a balance of work and labor. In the creation of two cities I think it defeats the purpose of balancing the Polis. When you separate the sacred spaces and profane spaces, it creates hierarchy but I do not see it as a beneficial hierarchy. When you separate these spaces in my head it makes you think that one space is more important than another. Though you may have the belief that a religious place is an organizing factor of society it does not do much for the culture when you order a society around religion. This method only works when you have one religion that is embraced by all people. When this is not done you create a problem within a culture. In my opinion all spaces should be connected because in my opinion it creates a unity across the board that resonates with people. I think that it would create the idea of your part in the society if all spaces were connected together instead of split into these sacred and profane places. The profane spaces correlate to working spaces because these are the spaces that allow life to prosper. Without this crucial part a society could not grow, it would basically be as developed as a nomad culture. The labor activities are a result of the work and without them could not transform a city into a developed state.
Lecture 8:
Due to a busy schedule I am limited in my travel around Philadelphia so I am most familiar with the spaces around Temple’s campus. I think our campus alone has a level of sacred and profane spaces that help orient your senses. I believe the sacred places have been carefully laid out by the Temple Architect to help alleviate the stress that students face. Around Temple there are multiple green spaces that offer places for relaxation. At the heart of main campus we have the bell tower which provides a great place to relax which to me is a very sacred activity to partake in with a college lifestyle. The great thing about this location is that it is bordered by educational facilities so it offers you the ability to step bake and take a break from your daily routines. I chose this location because it stiches the center of campus together by bringing both sacred and profane spaces into one area.
I think that the bell tower is a sacred space because it is a paradise within Temple’s campus. The way it is laid out allows the landscape to be multi-purpose so that the function of the area can change. It has the grassy spaces that can be used for recreational purposes. It also uses different levels to layout the area because the flat spaces are used for circulation and getting out information which can be seen by temple activity groups (groups, fraternities, and sororities) in this sense it allows people to expand networks and acts on a social level to bring people together. In my understanding of profane uses this order is profane and relaxation is sacred. Apart from changing landscapes the diverse groupings of people that use the space also change the emotions experienced at the site.
Responding to Lecture 7:
Of course there’s a connection between our previous discussion on “labor” versus “work” and the Greek’s desire to make two cities-the sacred and the profane. The profane were built as the same way as people’s built “labor”in order to sustain basic life necessities such as foods. The sacred part of Greek’s cities was built with a purpose of religion use, the profane part of the cities is more about the same thing as concept of “labor”. Thus, both “labor” and profane is a kind of first stage of “work” and sacred. We need to remain our life necessities first in order to live and then we will need “work” and scared to satisfy our needs in a higher way. In other words, it’s more like about the difference between physically and mentally.
Responding to Lecture 8:
The sacred and profane space i move through a lot in the city is the Love Park located in the center city area. Love park, also known as JFK Plaza, is a famous place in Philadelphia with full of visitors and it is nicknamed Love Park for Robert Indiana's Love sculpture which overlooks the plaza. The famous known about the love park is the fountain which will change the color for different festivals and the sculpture. Actually, the fountain and the sculpture does not have anything to do with people’s life necessities. They cannot be eat, wear or even use normally. It is just a piece of art which can be seem as people’s”work” or it is a scared space. However, the whole plaza cannot be seem as only scared, because it is a public park which allows people passing by everyday due to its location. Around it, there are a lot of restaurants, office buildings, and transportation stations. The plaza participate people’s life as a part of profane. People take photos there, eat there, relax there, meet friends there. People can do too many things there. Therefore, the love park is a both sacred and profane place.
Lecture 7…
Joe R said...
Based on our previous class readings, it is fairly obvious to conclude that the notions of the sacred and profane relate to the notions of work and labor. The sacred relates to the notion of a structure built for the sole purpose of representing or honoring a higher being. In the case of my argument for Lecture 8, I used the many buildings especially the theater on Temple's campus. All of these buildings were built to honor or represent a higher being and in the case of the theater it's not a higher being but the practice of theater itself. From a sacred sense, the theater is designed in such a way to hold importance over other buildings in the area. The theater on the campus is also designed with the notions of work and labor in mind. In terms of work, it is designed with the idea of art in mind in order to give it a pleasing, beautiful identity. It is also designed with the notion of labor as well in that some would argue the art of theater or performance is necessary for human survival. The profane spaces on Temple's campus can also be described as labor related. Profane refers to all the "living" spaces and labor relates to the notion of aspects that are necessary for human survival. I would say both of these ideas coincide directly with one another in a sense that they are practically the same thing. All the "living" spaces on Temple's campus such as food trucks and restaurants are all necessary for human survival in that they obviously provide individuals with food which is necessary for survival.
Lecture 7:
There certainly is a relationship between the two (considering the discussion of “labor” versus “work” and the desire to build two cities for its two types of inhabitants-- gods and man). The desire to create the sacred is a result of the progression of a civilization; work comes from the need to survive while labor comes as a result of this survival and advancement of this society as a more religious group. The Greeks were well situated in their cities that lined the topograph so structures for the gods were built as a means to express their advancement as a culture and to best design a “reflection of the heavens” by building for the gods. The profane is the standard for living, the place that helps define the city as a socially functional entity. The sacred comes after the profane as that which makes the city less about itself and more about nature and the gods. When the sacred is constructed it stands apart from the profane; it must stand apart from it because they are not the same nor do they function the same within the city. While they act together to form the ancient city-state the sacred cannot come before the profane as a result of the permanent settlement of a group of people.
Lecture 8:
1. The Philadelphia Art Museum is certainly a sacred place. Its design mimics that of ancient Greek architecture of temples. It is raised on a hill, designed to be optimally viewed from City Hall by going against the orientation of the city grid. Its monumentality is reinforced by the Benjamin Franklin Parkway that exists only to lead people to the building. Then a magnificently large staircase rises up to it, occasionally hiding the building before revealing it once more in all its grandeur. The facade speaks of having one floor from for to ceiling even though there are multiple floors inside. This creates the air of scarcity by making the building larger than life. Once it is out of the human scale if begins to feel heavenly and hosting a deity of unimaginable scale and power.
South Street is a great place that epitomizes the profane in the city. While it is not designed geomorphically, it is a place of the everyday. Shops, bars, eateries, parlors, and everything else that exemplifies low culture exists here. The distribution of homes and businesses is unplanned as to their location but follows the form of the city grid. South street is a motley of all things that entail the everyday life for the everyday people. Its horizontality also helps with this by having everything on an equal level as opposed to elevating any one piece of architecture physically or metaphorically.
2. The profane of South street comes from a few elements that work together in creating a profane dynamic within the city. The neighborhood in which it lives is one component that makes this place what it is. As opposed to what the Greeks intended of removing the sacred from the profane, from having the temples meant for gods set apart from the buildings for the common people, South street is set within a residential setting. It is so integral to the fabric of the city that edges are blurred. The businesses and people inhabiting this strip of the city are part of a different class of people that would be considered “low culture,” nurturing on the follies of man. The sacred, on the other hand, emphasizes the impurities of gods and elevates them physically and metaphorically. South street is a place of the common people, not a place dedicated to the deities.
Steffanie M.
Lecture 7
To answer if the ancient Greeks attempted to connect the idea of the sacred/profane with labor/work one has to look no further than the city of Athens and the Acropolis. The acropolis by its nature as a mesa creates its own delineation between the sacred and profane. The sacred spaces of the temples were placed high above the city, where the profane buildings and everyday life occurred. Each temple on the acropolis a ‘work’ of architecture dedicated to the gods(sacred) as opposed to the majority of the city below which were built as ‘labors’ of architecture to facilitate the everyday needs of the people(profane).
Lecture 8
The Susquehanna/Dauphin subway station, the entire subway system for that matter, a better choice for a profane structure would be hard to find. It is a structure dedicated to the support of daily life, each station a portal to travel between housing, shopping, etc. Every day it is filled with people, who show it no reverence, in fact many actively abuse the structure in ways none would treat a space that is considered sacred to them. A system of structures in which the city and its people invest only enough funds in to keep functional, many smelling like a locker room or worse depending if the trash has become odorous or if one of the many travelers decided to use the facility in a manner it was not designed for.
Food for Thought
While it does not reside in Philadelphia, the Captiol building in Washington Dc is a great example of both a profane and sacred building. Sacred as it is the seat of our republic and symbol of our government. Profane as it is the site of daily work by the legislative branch which pass the laws which keeps our society running.
Woojae H.
Weekend Peer Rebuttals
Joe R chose to write about academic buildings on Temple University Main Campus. I would like to post a comment on his writings over this week’s topic. He said that the academic buildings on the campus are sacred. However, I do not agree with his argument. I think that academic buildings are profane because the buildings have a lot of utilitarian qualities in them. Students, professors, and etcetera spend a lot of time in those buildings doing a lot of everyday living activities such as eating, sleeping, and using bathrooms. Those activities that we, students, professors, and etcetera, do in those buildings can be considered factors that determine those buildings as profane. Professors have their offices in those buildings too. Offices are private spaces that are close to homes that professors spend their time in their office working, resting. Therefore, I do not agree with his point on saying that academic buildings are sacred.
Lecture 7:
The connection is in the Greek desire to have a distinction in where they hold specific activities. They create their cities based on this hierarchy of importance and each Polis was designed for its specific duty. While temples and places of trade were both important to the Greeks they incorporated these ideas of labor versus work by separating the two into different city/states. The Greek society created its own city divisions of sacred versus profane in choosing different places for their different activities and not having them mix into one another much unlike today's cities.
Lecture 8:
1. One example of a sacred space is Independence hall. It sits at the center of our city grid and while not the tallest of our skyline it defines our cities history and serves as a public space of both entertainment and learning purposes. Business is conducted within the top offices and it serves a central meeting place and focal point to our city. In regards to a profane space I would have to say South Street is a good example. While many flock to it for entertainment, shopping, art, and music it is indeed separate and distinct from its surrounding old city neighborhood. South Street, much like independence hall is a defining characteristic of our city but for many different reasons and serves much more expressionist purposes than historical ones.
2. Independence hall holds our declaration and our liberty bell. It is perhaps our city's most sacred place as well as important to our nations history as a whole and sitting it as the center of our city defines that. It's intricate structure and exterior invite the public around it to walk around and enjoy its landscape. It is the historical ideals and that keep this a sacred space even as it is flocked daily with business and public tours. South Street is a defining staple of the profane space in the respect that is serves as a place of leisure. There are a plethora of restaurants and boutiques to shop. It has galleries and record stores, tattoo shops. It is a fun place to some where tourists and those who live in Philadelphia go to enjoy themselves. In regards to south street it is the people and diverse cultural ideals that keep it so appealing, unlike the historical ideals in independence hall.
Weekend Rebuttal:
I have to agree with Shiwen H. and the comment that Love Park is both a sacred and profane place. Robert Indiana placed the structure there to overlook JfK plaza and while it is a simple structure altogether it does indeed bring a great deal of people in from all over for a variety of reasons. It can be defined as sacred in the respect that is a structure created by an established artist for the public to see like many works all over our city. It brings people together for photos or to talk and meet up or simply passing by on their way to work. It can be profane in the respect of the people who may disrespect the place or the people in it, when it is disrupted by skateboarders while someone eats their lunch. I would argue it is the parks surroundings that make it profane. In the openness of the city streets it isn't set apart as a typical sacred space but rather intermixed with the business and residential buildings, and transportation systems surrounding it. There are a variety of ways to view Love Park and the purpose it serves to the city. Which ironically is none at all except for visual pleasure; but the way in which the people utilize the space that is love park is what makes it both a sacred and profane place. It defines our "city of brotherly love" and the way people come together and make use of public spaces and structures.
Food for Thought:
I would say Penn's Landing just off of South street is a god example of a sacred and profance place. It used to serve as our cities busiest port, and a place for labor activity but is now a place of more profane setting where people go for leisure or to catch a ferry. It is sacred in the respect of the naval ships, and the seaport museum, and the way in which some people utilize Penns Landing for date night, or to see fireworks on July 4th. It holds significant importance to some people while others simply use the public space to read a book or walk their dog, or see a concert on Friday night. What is most interesting about public spaces such as this is that there is no set standard for sacred or profane. Penn's Landing as public space today can be both. It depends on the way in which people want to use it.
Rebuttals
I feel totally agree with Woojae H when he talked about the Bell Tower located in front of the library. After reading through his paragraph about the Bell Tower, i can strongly feel that we has a similar understanding about the concepts we learn in this class. However, there’s one thing i want to add. He said: “The square is sacred because it is made for the campus to look better.” I think the square is scared is not only because it made the campus look better, but also, the bell is a symbol of a piece famous history happened in Philadelphia. Every visitor will take a tour to look the real bell at the Independence Hall. I believe that is one of the reason to made the place scared.
Joe R said...
I agree with Daniel and his argument for the art museum being a scared space. The art museum is designed in such a way that it is suppose to resemble Ancient Greek temples and influence society in the same way they did at that time. For example, as Daniel said, the museum has classical designs and is raised on a pedestal to give it significance over the rest of the area. The museum also represents the notion of worshiping a higher being and in this case with the museum its art and I feel like Daniel has a strong argument for that.
I would have to say that one of the most sacred places in the city is the sports complex. Sports are so revered in Philly. People who were born and raised here, myself included, follow the professional sports teams as if they were a religion. Every time the eagles play is almost like a religious holiday. The reason I say the sports complex is sacred to Philadelphians is because each time fans flock there, it becomes a sort of pilgrimage. They day becomes an entire event. Personally, I can remember going to Veterans Stadium for the first time as a child and witnessing the passion that everyone there had for the eagles. The building became a type of sacred temple that eagles fans hold close to their hearts to this day. As many people have said before, i think the belltower is a sacred place for Temple. It stands in the center of campus as a symbol of pride for the university. It represents all the work temple students put in and creates a central space for the entire campus.
Food for Thought
1)Old Pine Street Church
The Old Pine Street is a space, which can be considered as both sacred and profane. The space has Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, which majorly underscores the mythology of religion within Philadelphia. The church contains the historical treasures dedicated to the gods, which further enhances the religious mythology. Apart from the Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, within the space, also exists the Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church Cemetery and the Old Pine Community Center. These two historical sites portray the Old Pine Street space as profane. The sites act as tourist attraction sites, which make the space a busy street aside from the space’s religious aspect. In fact, the Old Pine Community Center is usually available for rental activities such as parties, wedding receptions and sporting events, which are considered profane activities with no religious beliefs attached. The Old Pine Street space, therefore, is both a sacred and profane space.
2) Response to classmate
The Love Park positioned in the center of the Philadelphia city area is a space that cannot be viewed as both sacred and profane. The park is more of a profane space than a scared void because of the mythology the space underscores and the activities that take place within and around the park. The activities taking place in the park do not hold any religious significance because it is a space that only provides a passage for people as they carry out their daily responsibilities. Furthermore, around the Love Park area include many office buildings, restaurants, and transportation stations that are all constituents of a profane space. The elements contribute to the everyday living and activities of people with no religious mythology attached such as conducting businesses or being involved in fun practices. These facts qualify the Love Park as a profane space and not a spiritual void.
Phil S.
Classmate response for David G.
I enjoyed David G's critique of the Tuttleman stairwells as a profane space in terms of architecture and purpose. It's not something I would have considered, but when put into the context of the relationship between the profane and the sacred, it makes sense. The stairwell is a profane utilitarian space, designed to get students to their classrooms, which are sacred spaces. As I said in my response to the lecture, the sacred can not exist without the profane, and the profane has no meaning without the sacred. Thus, even something as trivial as a stairwell has an important role in out architectural studies.
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