Priyanshi Shah

AR2066

A hierophany, as defined by Mircea Eliade, is the sacred manifesting through the ordinary. Cultural fictions—myths, norms, and histories—inform systems like Vastu Shastra and sacred geometry, turning materials into vessels of meaning. In Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Sanctuary, material shifts mark sacred thresholds. This principle guides a proposed Jain community center—derasar, kitchen, and Upashray—on an unfinished 1993 RCC structure in the Arun Co-operative Housing Society, Paldi, Ahmedabad. Marble stairs and a brass door signify sacred entry; mud flooring distinguishes ritual zones from profane ones. Here, materials are not passive—they are vibrant matter, embodying the sacred through culturally resonant transformation.