Illuminated isolation; a monastery for the Cistercian Order.

The sublime light that connect one place with 'the other' is the architectural expression of a new type of heterotopia: the fõstopos. The fõstopos sets itself apart spatially by means of light and connects with other places by referring to the sublime beyond itself. The fõstopos provides an unlimited space for the sublime within its borders. As such, it meets the need in our society for the 'other places' as introduced by Foucault.

For centuries the 'architecture of light' of the Cistercians has demonstrated the qualities of light as a means of giving shape to spaces. In this design for a monastery, the spatial and ritual experience of the sublime light and the threshold with the surrounding landscape are at the heart of its fõstopic character.

There is a crack, a crack
In everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in

'Anthem' by Leonard Cohen

Place of education: TU Delft | Specialization: architecture | Tutors: Robert J. Nottrot, Jan Engels, Machiel van Dorst