Spiritual Forum

When I saw the wonderful post on David Wilson`s architecture in here, I was thinking about the importance architecture has in relation to human minds.

Genius means something of divine nature belonging to places, like a soul. Genius huius loci means soul of a place.

Now architecture and urban development have indeed great influences on human minds. The basic kind of architecture is mainly responsible for well being. Dwelling in a fitting place with fitting architecture can lift up human hearts and minds.

Medieval urban structures

The medieval town had genarally a center which was a church. It was surrounded by the market place and more or less concentric circles of houses.

Roman urban structures

There was a big main road called forum and smaller roads in rectangular patterns. Most US towns are build not according medieval structures but roman ones.

Gothic revelation - light, hight and room

The gothic style was introduced in Europe after the crusades. There are strong influences from islamic architecture.

Gothic cathedrals were supposed to mirror an image of the heavenly Jerusalem - they were buildings of light, hight and room. People entering the building should be impressed.

From individual family homes to mass people homes

This is not the place giving an overview on architecture styles. My goal is to show a connex between general architecture, the genius loci and the mind of humans which finds expression in life and world perception.

The medieval center is a church which is a spiritual center. The gothic light, hight and room conception had all that was necessary to have an architecture of making people thinking and happy.

The roman structure is very practical. This makes it easy to find places quick.

No genius huius loci

To keep track of a soul of a place, it needs not only technical skills and architectural knowledge, but a good part patience and awareness which is a spiritual topic. But time is money. They have no time to listen patiently. To feel. To smell. To question.

A sober view

Now see what actually happened. We will not describe noe-Gothic, Jugendstil, Classicism and Bauhaus which were serious attempts implementing architecture in human`s lives. You may look for yourself if you wish to do so.

1. They build new settlements and even towns without a center.

The idea of a center is actually very old. It goes back many thousand yours ago. it has to do with cultic issues - living was also having part in cultic riruals. In the center was a sanctuary or temple. Later a church.

The symbolical value of a center in a settlement is not to underestimate.

2. Although architecture knows about the effects of light, hight and room, many people can`t afford such houses. So they live in houses according their money. They encounter mostly only necessary requirements - small room mostly not very high, kitchen, sleeping room living room and bath, sometimes a guest room, that`s it.

Anybody who had the joy living in a house with big rooms knows what I am talking about. It is another feeling. You can better breath. Your thoughts are more free.

3. Unfortunately, most people do not even live in a house but in a flat which is even smaller than a house. It is also according their money. In big cities like New York or Tokyo many people have only one room and a small bath. Can you believe that - only one room? And many are proud of it!

Not only this - many live with other people in a localized manner. How can there be freedom? Of course it is possible. But why do people live that close to each other?

4. Urban people show more growing signs of mental disorders than country people. Urban life - and this is including architecture - is obviously making many people sick and exhausted.

5. Modern architecture has a big part in this. Instead of building homes and houses according the soul of a place, they build monumental buildings making people think small of themselves. The human is a dwarf against the steel and glass monuments. The style is not beauty, but function - this is pure functionalism rather than playing with forms and appearances. Some architects nonetheless do. But they are mostly independent from the flow of money.

6. And finally I want to say this. Modern architecture has tempted modern people to hate dirt. It is all clean and rectangular and in right order - an image of how people are supposed to think from themselves. Obviously the NWO loves huge, clean and clear structured architecture because it impresses people`s mind.

Thank you again for the David Wilson gallery...