Urban Monastery 2007
This project attempts to vertically reconfigure a monastic program. It is a program of contradictions: at once separated from, but connected to the city. Perched on the top of either side of two structural walls, the monastery suspends across a narrow street. Two towers anchor either corner: one contains the social functions such as the refectory, classrooms, and administration; the other, the living units for Benedictine monks. The church connects these two towers at the base. It is bounded on one side by a shear wall that wraps around either side of the towers and forms the cloister. This shear wall connects various spaces of the monastery through a continuous spiral ramp.
