The Revival Church

Abstract: Throughout the years, the church has played an integral role in the community. It has served as a spiritual hub, a political symbol, and a center point for the community. One thing that cannot be denied is that the church has had some sort of power and influence on the community throughout different periods of time. You may even argue if the impact it has had on the community is positive or not. Some may argue that the church may have taken away from the lives of its people and the lives of the community. As the power and influence of the church have diminished in many places, there are still countries and communities that are built around the church. There seems to be a spiritual connection between the church and the people. There is something eternal about the church; through the ages, it has always had a voice or a stake in the community. In the Bible, Jesus states: “Thou art Peter, and I will build my church on this rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This scripture gives insight into the original intention of the church: that the church is built on a life; the church is not a building but is built on the individual life that makes up the community. It speaks of the ultimate level of inclusivi- ty, which almost becomes exclusive. The church may not be built on a group of people; the church is first built on an individual, and these individuals make up the church. A human being or an institution does not build the church; it is built on the individual, and the individual is the material used to form this structure. So it is built brick by brick, person by person, and life by life. This is a very specific kind of community; it is one worth designing for. This scripture also refers to the eternal nature of the church; the church is meant to be built on a rock, and nothing can prevail against it. This shows that the Church was intended to be eternal and that controversies, political changes, chang- es in the climate, and any other danger shouldn’t be able to destroy it. These two goals combine to form a powerful community that will result in a plethora of compelling design outcomes. So this project aims to explore how you design to meet these intentions. The goal is to design for a contemporary context in which the community revolves around the church. How does this modern church reach the original intentions of the church? How can the people and the community influence architecture?