Community interfaith centre: on common ground

Abstract

This thesis discusses a new typology of interfaith architecture in the form of a Community Interfaith Centre located within a prominent civic park in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A growing multifaith city within the fabric of Canada’s evolving multicultural and multifaith communities. The research project explores interfaith dialogue at the core of multifaith design which has historically focused primarily on worship spaces, omitting the purposeful design of interactions between the various user groups. The design proposes a reimagined landscape of the park which invites visitors to the centrally located Interfaith Community Centre edifice designed as a flower rising from the garden of the park. Each design element of the proposal fosters chance encounters and curated events within a sacred environment that begins from the outer landscaped gardens to the interior garden and programmed spaces. The study advocates for this dialogue to foster community unity within the fabric of diverse mid-sized cities of Canada and beyond.