In the post-industrial era, people are increasingly dependent on technology and virtual space , which leads to a state of extreme alienation between humans, the living environment and nature. Indoor space and nature seem increasingly to be two independent entities, and people have totally different feelings and experiences when engaging these two environments, which has diminished people's perception of the interconnection between the external natural environment and internal space. At the same time, our present society's pursuit of material things increases endlessly, which often leads directly to the disappearance of religion and religious symbolism -- that is, the concept of sacredness -- from our lives. The sacred provides a space for gratitude, awareness and for people to think about meaning and value.
My design work seems to address this through creating spaces that emphasise the relationship of the interior to a reflective engagement with nature. Therefore, I hope to create an exhibition in Carlton Gardens and Flagstaff Gardens that promotes the connection between nature and the interior. This exhibition is composed of several different pavilions, each will be combined with natural elements such as light, water, wind, etc. to create a sense of sacredness. The aim of this project is to reawaken people's awareness to the connection between the external natural world and the internal space, and to establish the concept of holiness in people's minds.
A key research question for me is how can I design an interior space for nature that induces a sense of sacredness? This project will be divided into three parts to discuss this question light, water and wind, to illustrate my understanding and analysis of these elements by showing some experiments, and apply my understanding of this to interior design.
Motivation
I recorded two journeys, one is from City to St Kilda beach and another is from Newport to flinders station, and recorded what people did in the carriages. I was very impressed by the process and result of this experience. Most passengers are willing to spend time on their mobile phones during the journey, and only few of them are willing to enjoy the scene out of the window. The other thing that impressed me is that I think back on my normal life, if I wasn't doing this experiment, I would be playing with my phone. This makes me think that for most people, myself included, technology and the Internet are far more attractive to us than the natural environment. When we're in a moving space, and the view out the window is constantly changing, which should be more appealing than the view from a fixed space, but we'd still like to spend more time on our phones. Although there is only a window or a wall between the inner space and the outside natural world, the distance between interior space and nature environment has become larger and larger in people's consciousness
