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Research Articles

No. 10 (2023): The matter

Without façades: Idea and matter in the sacred space of the Indian stepwells

Submitted
September 25, 2023
Published
2023-12-14

Abstract

The Hindu stepwells have been analyzed from various perspectives: historical, religious, cultural, and constructive. However, a study regarding space as a subject of Architecture has not been conducted yet, and this is the central objective of this text.

The author presents research on the key spatial determinants: the Hindu and Muslim religious traditions, worship of the Ganges, climatic considerations, resolving water storage, and the delineation of public space. This investigation seeks to understand how an architectural concept translates a theological idea through water and shade. Thus, the well becomes a place of connection between the human being and their aspiration for transcendence.

The inventory of architectural ideas is supported by the author’s on-site documentation of two archetypal wells, which represent previously unpublished plans. These plans, along with an understanding of the material that shapes the idea, constitute the most significant value of the article.

References

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