Temple of Silence

Temple of Silence


"The mind of man," wrote Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) 103 years ago, "is capable of anything [or every wickedness] - because everything is in it..." What he put it here in his Heart of Darkness was a negative echo of the creed in Zen Buddhism - the heart of man is the source of ten thousand doctrines. The dogma - seishin - commonly seen in a Japanese Zen temple, literally means "washing heart" and profoundly means straining off the amoral sediments in the mind of man by Zen practicing. It is by means of such practicing one may obtain enlightenment and wisdom. The Ishiyama lab. would try to design the Japanese Pavilion with reference to the concept from the Zen sect by firstly dividing the site in the woods in Fiskars into 4 zones: (A) Zone of Flesh Cleansing Zone A, the front/mundane area, is composed of the facilities for human needs, including the quarter for both the Japanese-styled bath and the Finnish sauna. Prepared for the visitors to clean up their skins and refresh their spirits, the design in (A) has the bearing of overhaul, or reviving their souls if seen together with zones B, C, D and the surrounding woods as integrity. (B) Zone of Washing Heart Zone B, the center area, is planned to be a Japanese-styled garden located between the mundane zone (A) and the sacred zone (C). Wandering through the garden, the visitors perhaps could tune up their feelings and have their hearts moved. (C) Zone of Mind Reflection Zone C is the rear where the Bell Tower and the Pavilion are to be put. Although the Pavilion is meant to be the major exhibition hall for cultural and commercial uses, it is the sacred encounter for the exchanges between Finland and Japan. (D) Zone of Quietness "Let's take a walk!" Shall we not? Let's wander through the woods and step into the gate. There we could try to wash off the baneful chemicals in our souls. Then, perhaps we could cast light onto the dark corners in our hearts, liberating our souls from burdensome nets in life, listening to the pulses of our heartbeats with joy and peace. It is a journey into the pavilion in the woods, and into the Heart of Silence. There in the Fiskars woods perhaps one can say it aloud: "the heart of man is capable of anything, and every goodness." Elevation Plan Section

"The mind of man," wrote Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) 103 years ago, "is capable of anything [or every wickedness] - because everything is in it..." What he put it here in his Heart of Darkness was a negative echo of the creed in Zen Buddhism - the heart of man is the source of ten thousand doctrines. The dogma - seishin - commonly seen in a Japanese Zen temple, literally means "washing heart" and profoundly means straining off the amoral sediments in the mind of man by Zen practicing. It is by means of such practicing one may obtain enlightenment and wisdom.

The Ishiyama lab. would try to design the Japanese Pavilion with reference to the concept from the Zen sect by firstly dividing the site in the woods in Fiskars into 4 zones:

(A) Zone of Flesh Cleansing
Zone A, the front/mundane area, is composed of the facilities for human needs, including the quarter for both the Japanese-styled bath and the Finnish sauna. Prepared for the visitors to clean up their skins and refresh their spirits, the design in (A) has the bearing of overhaul, or reviving their souls if seen together with zones B, C, D and the surrounding woods as integrity.

(B) Zone of Washing Heart
Zone B, the center area, is planned to be a Japanese-styled garden located between the mundane zone (A) and the sacred zone (C). Wandering through the garden, the visitors perhaps could tune up their feelings and have their hearts moved.

(C) Zone of Mind Reflection
Zone C is the rear where the Bell Tower and the Pavilion are to be put. Although the Pavilion is meant to be the major exhibition hall for cultural and commercial uses, it is the sacred encounter for the exchanges between Finland and Japan.

(D) Zone of Quietness
"Let's take a walk!" Shall we not? Let's wander through the woods and step into the gate. There we could try to wash off the baneful chemicals in our souls. Then, perhaps we could cast light onto the dark corners in our hearts, liberating our souls from burdensome nets in life, listening to the pulses of our heartbeats with joy and peace.

It is a journey into the pavilion in the woods, and into the Heart of Silence. There in the Fiskars woods perhaps one can say it aloud: "the heart of man is capable of anything, and every goodness."

Temple of Silence

Elevation

Plan

Temple of Silence

Section

INDEX

Osamu Ishiyama Laboratory