Research Project: "Redefining the Sacred in Modern European Architecture: Bruno Taut, Rudolf Steiner, Le Corbusier and the Construction of Sacred Space"

This project investigates the ways in which Bruno Taut (1880-1938), Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), and Le Corbusier (1887-1965) were inspired by new forms of spirituality, esotericism, and religion that were popular during their lifetimes. These three men sought to harmonize perceived binary oppositions and polarities such as East/West, male/female, scientific/religious, and nature/society and were invested in the idea that certain spaces in the modern world could become harmonious utopias, free of the oppressive intellectual and materialized power structures of the past. The manner in which they designed these spaces, and the influences that informed their different approaches, are the main themes this project seeks to explore. Through investigating such connections, my research reveals that Le Corbusier, Steiner, and Taut—while citizens of different European countries—shared an interest in esotericism, new religious ideas, and re-sacralizing the present through the construction of "sacred space" in their architecture, as well as in their theoretical writings on space and design. While the concept of "sacred space" is attracting attention again and establishing theoretical currency, the "sacred" as an idea still struggles to harmonize with the strictly historical approach of the academy with its attention to difference and the basic assumption that "sacredness" is a constructed and essentializing category. My project intervenes in this debate by combining a discourse analysis approach with the material and spatial turns. In other words, I focus not only on the textual and cultural context of Taut, Steiner, and Le Corbusier but also on the material and spatial configurations of their designs.