Submitted by WA Contents

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

Austria Architecture News - Sep 28, 2015 - 13:55   4691 views

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

all image © Dietmar Tollerian

Austria-based architect Rafael Hintersteiner designed a small holy space that you can pray and mediate simultaneously in Austria. This small piece acts both as a sculptural landscape element and a functional space- architect Rafael Hintersteiner explains his design approach like the "Tower of Silence" is a building where life and death find together, a place to pause and meditate. When you look at the building at first sight, it doesn't give any idea about the function of the building -looks like a garden sculpture -but when you look at inside, it gives a sense of space -a kind of catharsis.

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

The desire of the old farmer was to be buried on private property, so the family set out to find a suitable location. After some discussion it was clear to create both a space where you can pray and for the grave - a meditation room, which should reflect the cycle of life. Two openings, one at the bottom and and another in the ceiling, put this into architecture.

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

The material, "Mühlviertler granite", comes from the immediate area and was edited by hand and bricked up piece by piece. The entrance door of polished copper creates a contrast to stone masonry that light reflections tell of impenetrability, as well as life itself is a mystery.

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

Tower of silence is a new space that you can pray and meditate

schema of the Tower of Silence

Project Facts

Name of the project: Tower of silence

Size: 4x4x4m

Location: Naarn im Machlande, Upper Austria, Austria

Team: Rafael Hintersteiner

Completion date: July 2015

> via rafaelhintersteiner.at