Spirit, Light, and the Collective Unconscious Nathan Kasten January 22, 2008 (First Draft)

Architecture is a feeling, it is light, it is the relationship of the body and mind

within the environment; it is spirit. The institution is the spirit of our culture, represented

by our universities; a new University Centre for the McGill University downtown campus

will become the tectonic representation of the search for the spirit that lives within us all;

blind to race, colour or creed. The University represents the greatest of our cultural and

societal beliefs; they are our legacy, our now, and our opportunity. Like architecture

itself, design is a journey of the mind, body, and environment and it is through a process

of building and experimentation at a 1:1 scale on the specific site that I will explore this

journey of spirit.

Grandescunt Aucta Labore (“By work, all things increase and grow.”)

-- McGill University Motto

Nominations for supervisor:

1. Michael Jemtrud 2. Alberto Perez-Gomez 3. Ricardo Castro 4. Phyllis Lambert

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Thesis Premise: Spirit, Light, and the Collective Unconscious

“I have some thoughts about the spirit of architecture.” -- Louis I. Kahn

Light is something we take for granted. It is the source of all life on earth; it is no

surprise that in so many works of art and architecture, it is light that represents and

evokes the sense of spirituality within us all, ignorant to race, colour, or creed.

Architecture is a feeling, it is light, it is the relationship of the body and mind within the

environment; it is spirit.

Light is part of what Carl G. Jung has described as our “collective unconscious:”

a collection of “archetypes” that everybody in the world shares (Jung 1968, 43). If we all

share similar associations with light, then can we postulate that through light, we can

produce architecture that resonates within us all, essentially evoking the spirit.

Kahn says in his “Address to Naturalized Citizens” (Kahn 2003, 263) “…it was a

non-deniable force in the mind, in the human agreement mind that the school just had to

be. And it is still in my opinion, the greatest institution of all.”

The institution is the spirit of our culture, represented best by our universities; a

new University Centre for the McGill University downtown campus will become the

tectonic representation of the search for the spirit that lives within us all. The University

represents the greatest of our cultural and societal beliefs and achievements; they are

our legacy, our now, and our opportunity. Like architecture itself, design is a journey of

the mind, body, and the environment and it is through a process of building and

experimentation at a 1:1 scale on the specific site that I will explore this journey of spirit.

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Primary Area of Study: Light, and the Spirit

Architecture is more than just a physical shelter; it represents an idea, a feeling

and a belief system. Architecture’s most perceived existence is of a physical place that

serves a purpose, and resolves a programmatic requirement. I am making the

argument that although this is very true, it does not exploit the true value of architecture:

the value of feeling, emotion, and visceral experience… spirit.

The most prolific architectural writer on this subject is Louis I. Kahn (Kahn 2003).

Kahn understood the resonance of architecture, and its spirit, specifically the

relationship of light within architecture (Figure 1). And although Kahn begins to grasp at

this understanding, there are far more writings in the Arts related to the relationship of

mind, body, and environment. Specifically, the discipline of psychology where the great

Carl G. Jung proposed the idea of the “Archetype and the Collective Unconscious” in a

volume by the same name (Jung 1968), where-by we all share a collection of instinctual

associations to certain ideas where the spirit (and presumably light) are part of. Others

such as David Wood (Wood 1993), Talia Mae Bettcher (Bettcher 2007), and S. P.

Dubey (Dubey 1994) have contributed through the study of “Metaphysics” and

“Ontology,” which has been strongly associated with the self, and the questions of life

and being, ideas integral to the questions of spirit in architecture.

More practically speaking, Henry Plummer has produced an excellent volume of

twentieth-century architecture that uses light in a very spiritual and effective manner

(Plummer 2003). Also, the artwork of James Turrell (Turrell 1998) has demonstrated

the power of light and spirit in its relationship to space and the human, while John

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Dewey the great philosopher has described the association of art to spirit through the

chapter “The Live Creature and ‘Etherial Things’” (Dewey 1977).

Program:

The University represents the greatest of our cultural and societal beliefs; they

are our legacy, our now, and our opportunity. A University Centre is the student’s

home. It is a place of impromptu meetings of both academia and social nature. It is a

place to eat, drink, sleep, study, see, be seen, laugh, cry, protest, celebrate, relax, go to

the washroom, buy, sell, or any other experience we have all shared. It is a place of

tremendous spirit. This is a very personal acknowledgement of what I feel is

significantly lacking at McGill, and I will draw heavily on the University of Manitoba’s

University Centre (Figure 2) as a first hand precedent, as I feel it is one of the greatest

and well used buildings I have experienced.

There are many programmatic elements that can be used within a University

Centre. For Example: food services, a bar, a lounge, sitting areas, washrooms,

presentation rooms, and professional services (to name a few). And many of (and

many more) of these programmatic spaces will be included in the final proposition, but

to what extent, and to how these spaces are defined becomes a part of the complete

exploration of the design process.

Like Louis Kahn says, “The plan is a society of rooms.”

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Oh ya, and…

There is a sole political and somewhat hypocritical, but crucial, gesture that the

program will include -- as a demonstration of the importance of architecture within

society, space will be allocated for a new Faculty of Architecture, located in a prominent

and constantly visible location within the Centre…

Site: McGill University Downtown Campus

The site is integral to the “feeling” of architecture. The site is the place where the

architect uses the creations of nature to produce what nature cannot, art - spirit. Each

site is as individual as you or I, and it will be explored with the same rigor. Light pours

into each site differently, and it is important to understand the lighting characteristics of

the particular site, as it will be the exploration and articulation of the light that will

produce the architecture, and hence, spirit.

The McGill University campus is a place where the sky meets the earth, and the

mind meets the city. The campus is nestled between the extremes of both the natural,

and the manufactured. Lying at the foot of Mount Royal and at the cusp of downtown

Montreal, the new University Centre will harmoniously integrate the site and the people

who use it. It is important to note that although I have yet to choose a specific location

on the University campus, I know that for the new University Centre to be successful, it

must lye both physically, and politically in the literal center of campus. Currently this

location is thought to be the grassy field at the end of Avenue McGill College, but further

exploration and research of the campus may prove to be a different location.

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Mode of Production: Be In, and Build 1:1

Like architecture itself, design is a journey of the mind, body, and environment

and it is through a process of building and experimentation at a 1:1 scale on the specific

site that I will explore this journey of spirit.

Historically, there has not been a more specific element to the exploration of spirit

than light. From the cathedrals in Paris, to the work of Louis Kahn, light has always

been the representation of spirit. This is where I will start the search. Notably, I will us

the work of light artist James Turrell (Figure 3, Turell 1998) as inspiration to build 1:1

experiments and installations both on and off site, to test and explore the impact of light

on the body, mind, and environment. The hope of this experimentation is to discover

the elements that reside within our collective unconscious that makes us aware and

appreciate the quality of light in space.

The method of recording these experiments is yet to be determined. Because I

wish to explore the effects that light has on the three main components of spirit: body,

mind, and environment, I am still unsure of the appropriate method of both

architecturally testing and recording these experiences. Further research will be

needed to resolve the completeness of this mode of production, but I am certain that it

must directly involve the person within the experimentation, because architecture does

not exist without the person.

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Conclusion: Let There be Light

There is light at the end of the tunnel (pun intended), the journey is beginning.

Architecture like no other profession has the capability to evoke emotion on a very

spiritual level. This is not a religious exploration as the common use of the word would

imply, but it is a journey of faith, the faith of the architect and faith of the user.

Architecture is no more than a “mass” unless we use our capabilities as “Architects” to

make incredible space. It is a journey of body, mind and environment in the hopes to

convey through light as a resonating tool within us all, we will be able to evoke a sense

of spirit within McGill’s forthcoming University Centre. So… Grandescunt Aucta Labore.

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Committee and Resources:

Advisors:

1) Michael Jemtrude

Michael’s unique knowledge in both the theory of architecture and innovative

architectural technologies is of particular interest to me. It is my personal belief that

these two elements of design are inseparable. It is an expectation of my own work that I

continue to push the limits of architecture while not forgetting or neglecting the

necessary principles found in the theory of architecture.

2) Alberto Perez-Gomez is a recognized leader in the theory of architecture, and I feel

he can provide me with excellent guidance in the pursuit of my subject, as it deals with

many issues he himself has written about in his many books.

3) Ricardo Castro is an expert in architectural theory, more specifically, Modern

Architecture of which I draw many of my personal beliefs from. I believe he will provide

excellent guidance for my work, and he will be an excellent resource.

4) Phyllis Lambert, I am not sure if Phyllis is available, as such I have placed her

fourth. Phyllis has for a long time advocated the importance of architecture in society,

and I would love to gain from her wealth of knowledge and experience.

Requested Resources:

The work I wish to pursuit is of a very physical an large nature as I wish to deal with

elements at a scale of 1:1. As such, I would be grateful to have a large enough space

where I can build, and move large-scale objects in and out.

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List of Primary Sources:

Kahn, Louis I.. Esential Texts. Edited by Robert Twombly. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2003

There are few individuals who have effected the profession of architecture the way Louis I. Kahn has. Kahn speaks of the spirit in architecture as the most important aspect of any architectural work. Specific to his ideas are his respect for light and what he calls “silence”, where the light is the source of all things on earth, and the silence is the mass that breaks up the light. Specific texts of particular interests include: “Form and Design”, “The Nature of Nature”, “Law and Rule in Architecture”, “Space and Inspiration”, “Silence and Light”, and “The Room, the Street, and Human agreement”.

Jung, C. G.. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Translated by R. F. C.

Hull. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1968 Carl G. Jung is one of the most prolific contributors to psychology. He is the creator of both the terms “Archetype” and “Collective Unconscious”. When exploring the role of spirit in architecture, it is essential to gain an understanding of the mind we all have. The operations of the mind play an important role in determining what and how a “spirit” is interpreted. Jung argues that there are certain aspects of our mind that we all share. This is important in making my argument towards an approach to architecture that may exist as an archetype within our “collective unconscious.”

James Turrell: Spirit and Light. Edited by Louisa S. Sarofim. Houston: Contemporary Ars Museum, 1998. Published in conjunction with the exhibition “James Turrell: Spirit and Light” shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum, in Houston. This pamphlet is a collection of artwork by James Turrell, but also includes several essays related to his work. Notable are Lynn M. Herbert’s “Spirit and Light and the Immensity Within”, and Terence Riley’s “James Turrell – An Arcrhitect’s Perspective”. Notable pieces of James Turrell’s work are “Models for Autonomous Space, 1988-89” and the “Roden Crater” project. James Turrell is a unique artist in that he approaches light as a material, in so doing; he relates the qualities of light as being a spiritual experience. This is an important understanding for the transformation of lighting in a building as a way of simply providing light, into a physical and psychological experience that evokes the spirit.

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List of Secondary Sources:

Bettcher, Talia M.. Berkley’s Philosophy of Spirit: Conscious, Ontology and the Elusive Subject. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007 Dewey, John. “The Live Creature and “Etherial Things.’” In John Dewey: The Essential

Writtings, edited by David Sidorsky, 257-265. New York: Harper and Row Publishers

Dubey, S. P., editor. The Metaphysics of the Spirit. Delhi: H. B. Printing Works, 1994 Knapp, Bettina L.. Archetype, Architecture, and the Writer. Bloomington: Indiana

University Press, 1986 Merricks, Trenton. Truth and Ontology. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2007 Morgan, Morris H., trans. Vitruvious: The Ten Books on Architecture. New York: Dover

Publications, Inc. Plummer, Henry. Masters of Light, First Volume: Twentieth-Century Pioneers. Tokyo:

a+u Publishing Co., Ltd., 2003

Wood, David. Of Derrida, Heidegger, and Spirit. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1993

Wiseman, Carter. Louis I. Kahn: Beyond Time and Style, A Life in Architecture. New York: W. W. Norton and Company

Image List: Figure 1 retrieved from: Johnson, Nell E.. Light is the Theme: Louis I. Kahn and the Kinmbell Art Museum.

Fortworth: Kimbell Art Publications Two

Figure 2 retrieved from: University of Manitoba Building Index. “Winnipeg Buildings.” University of Manitoba

Archives. http://apollo.lib.umanitoba.ca/viewImage.action?id=3491&size=large (accessed January 21, 2008).

Figure 3 retrieved from: James Turrell: Spirit and Light. Edited by Louisa S. Sarofim. Houston: Contemporary

Ars Museum, 1998. Published in conjunction with the exhibition “James Turrell: Spirit and Light” shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum, in Houston.

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Appendix: Figures

Figure 1. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas by Louis I. Kahn

Figure 2. University Centre at The University of Manitoba by Number Ten Architects

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Figure 3. Milk Run II, 1997 by James Turrell

Let us build the building of light. Push up the towers To the cock-tops.

These are the pointings of our edifice, Which, like gorgeous palm, Shall tuff the commonplace. These are the window-sill

On which the quiet moonlight lies.

How shall we hew the sun, Split it and make blocks, To build a ruddy palace?

How carve the violet moon To set in nicks?

Let us fix portals, east and west, Abhoring green-blue north and blue-green south.

Our chiefest dome a demoiselle of gold. Pierce the interior with pouring shafts,

In diverse chambers. Pierce, too, with buttresses of coral air

And purple timbers, Various srgentines,

Embossing of the sky.

Wallace Stevens, “Architecture,”

first published in The Little Review, December 1918