Beyond the portal - A Study of the Tangible and Intangible Rituals within Sacred Spaces

Abstract

In its ambitions, the paper aims to propose a proof of concept for a Virtual, Augmented and Mixed (VAM) environment that digitally overlays a multifaith space in order to optimize their use, essentially transforming itself to the spiritual needs of the user. In order to do so, a mixed reality experience was developed by investigating and interpreting both the tangible and intangible rituals of prayer. By incorporating an immersive experience, the project promotes the idea of a multifaith space that moves beyond the notion of an "empty white room (Crompton, 2013, p.487)". To develop an immersive experience that caters to people of all religions or no religion is beyond the scope of this project. Hence, by creating a VAM environment for users of the Muslim faith the project may be able to support design ideologies for others, furthering research in this field. keywords Tangible and Intangible Rituals; Multifaith Space; Mixed Reality; Digital Mosque