Echoes Of Stone : The Dissonance Of Erosion
Atelier 02: Urban Monastery
Project
In my project, I have designed a spiritual bathhouse with a focus on 'positive decay'. What is meant by this is a design that embraces the natural forms, spaces, and experiences of decay, rather than seeing it as something negative.
Echoes of Stone aims to take users on a phenomenological journey through decay, memory, and meaning. It explores how deterioration—particularly how water erodes and carves out spaces—shapes the architecture, using a labyrinth of stone passages, rough, bumpy walls, overgrowth, and fragmented boundaries.
Through alternating spaces of light, acoustics, and temperature, the bathhouse cleanses not only physically but mentally as well. It aims to encourage users to reflect on their modern lives and to see that decay can be an opportunity for growth and renewal.
The stone, materials, and decayed design are inspired by the local context of Newark—particularly Newark Castle. This pays homage and draws parallels between my design and the castle, alluding to a story that connects the two.
