Transparency has been a subject of architectural discourse since the early twentieth century. As the use of glass in architecture developed formally, the understanding of how to design with this transparent material evolved. As glass technology improved and new applications were conceived, the implications of literal and phenomenal transparency grew. How one perceived of the effects that transparency had on space was subject to the ability of one’s awareness of that which was perceived.
This thesis contributes to the discussion of how glass and its current technological state contribute to new and alternative ways to experience and understand space. It is not a discussion of every way that glass can be used but rather how its transparency, combined with it's innate material qualities, gives way to phenomena. Today, there are a variety of materials that possess the quality of transparency - glass, plastic, fabrics etc. Those materials also have different material properties that contribute to the production of other phenomenal effects. By focusing on the manipulation of one's perception of these phenomena, a new experience of space is produced.
The theories studied in this thesis are exercised in the creation of an Urban Sanctuary in downtown Cincinnati. Glass has a long-standing tie to religious architecture making it a fitting material choice. This coupled with the notion of phenomenal transparency will invert the introspective and reflective nature of the sanctuary, revealing the functions to the community. By using glass to push the boundary of this idea it is possible create a new vocabulary for the materials use and the privacy and publicity it may achieve. The juxtaposition of transparency with the monastic typology creates a vibration that exploits that which is perceived.