TIPS FOR DESIGNING CHURCH BUILDINGS : A READING OF MEGA CHURCH ARCHITECTURE IN LIGHT OF THE CULTURE OF MODERNITY

Abstract

Church architecture in Singapore has evolved greatly from colonial church typologies to the modern day concert halls and auditoriums of mega churches. Past dissertations have addressed and attributed this shift in built form to utilitarian and technological reasons such as the need to accommodate larger congregations or the availability of projection systems. However, this dissertation seeks to understand the shift in church architecture from a more fundamental perspective. It attempts to understand the sociological and cultural forces and mindsets which influence modern day Christianity in Singapore and identifies the culture of modernity as a major pressure. The dissertation provides an alternative reading of present day church architecture in Singapore through the lenses of the culture of modernity. It illustrates, regardless of whether this was an intentional or unconscious process, how present day church architecture agrees well with the values and conditions brought about by modernity.