Metropolis as Sanctuary — A Spiritual Reinterpretation of Urbanism Through the Seven Sacraments
This project investigates the influence and presence of Orthodox Christianity on local communities in the Evia Peninsula, Greece, and develops an experimental design approach through three stages: research, urban design, and architectural design. Beginning with ethnographic and spatial analysis, the research explored how abstract religious concepts and the vibrant lifestyle they generate shape local identity and social cohesion. This inquiry revealed a strong yet fragmented relationship between ritual, landscape, and daily life, forming the basis for a design strategy that reinterprets the Orthodox tradition within a contemporary urban context.
The urban design phase translated the Seven Sacraments into urban functions, establishing them as nodes connected by a path that models new forms of urban development. This framework integrates local cultural traditions and natural elements—light, water, and landscape—into a spatial sequence that embodies both sacred and civic qualities. At the architectural scale, the design reverses this logic, testing how small-scale sacred spaces can reconfigure the wider urban fabric. Pilgrimage thus becomes both an architectural procession and an urban narrative, linking individual experience to collective identity.
Throughout this year-long process, I have explored not only how spiritual traditions can be translated into spatial strategies, but also how emerging digital tools can transform this translation. By incorporating AI-driven generative design into my workflow, I examined how computational methods might support the reinterpretation of cultural narratives, opening new directions for urban and architectural innovation.
This work reflects my broader interest in the transformation of urban design: moving from traditional frameworks toward approaches that integrate theory, practice, and digital intelligence. I am eager to pursue research and professional opportunities that investigate the role of AI in shaping just, inclusive, and sustainable urban futures—whether in academic projects, practice-based roles, or doctoral-level research.
