Divergence of the Buddhist Experience
For
long, Buddhism has spread and materialize its ideology and teachings through
the experience created by architecture and ceremonies that the Buddhist
perceive in order to plant and manifest the idea into ones mind. Divergence of
Buddhist Experience is a virtual space that allows the user to illustrate and
materialize their envisagement of the experience that they desire to enhance
the Buddhist practices and ceremonies according to the individual preference. Each
contribution from the user will then be used to form a creative network
platform that act as an archive to store all the designed virtual spaces that
can be shared and accessed by every user. The constructed virtual space must be
used to house virtual 16 meters tall Phra Sri San Phet, the same as what the
Grand Hall used to function. Each space will then be used for Buddhist practices
and ceremonies, accessible by the people onsite and online.
The
user who is on the real physical site of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet Grand Hall will
be granted access to the design interface via the creative virtual headset
consisting of a virtual ocular device with a camera attachment to record the
surroundings, a hand gesture recognition device, and a built in open back
headphone, allowing them to see, hear, and manipulate the virtual elements
respectively, of both the design interface and the constructed virtual space. Only
the user onsite will be able to construct the virtual space as they will be
able to perceive and scrutinize the context, ambient atmosphere, and variables
of the physical site. The user will be given the constructed virtual grammar
that act as a foundation where they will be constructing upon. Every
architectural design element must be placed on the same existing layout of the
ruin.
The
design interface aids the user by enabling the new perception through
transition of reality such as the ability to see sound, enhancing the
creativity and as well as truly understand every single choice and element that
they choose. Each choice being made will be shown to the user instantly so that
they may experience their creation in real time to achieve the desired effects.
They will interact with the design interface through physical body contact with
the virtual elements which will response with the user for every certain body
gesture. Once the virtual space has been constructed, it will be stored in the
online archive of each individual account. It is an interactive platform where
different users can access and experience every virtual space through the same
medium of the virtual headset and a 3d scanner to record their body and
transform that into digital format into the online network. This network allows
the Buddhist society from all around the world to form a new community through
virtual space that doesn’t just give the user conventional spaces but a
holistic archive where contribution creates the network itself. The users are
able to interact with other online and onsite user who chooses the same space
to perform the practices and ceremonies together.
This
interactive network is designed to blur the demarcation of ideology on how
Buddhist practices and ceremonies should be experience. Being a core of the
space, the Buddha image act as a portal in which the user is able to
materialize and manifest their thoughts of the new space should be. This space
embraces different perspectives from both Buddhist and non-Buddhist user,
creating a divergence to enhance the experience.
the interior of Divergence of Buddhist Experience |
Virtual Grammar
The
original Grand Hall design will be use as a default virtual space where both
the user onsite and online can come a use this same main channel of Divergence
of the Buddhist experience. The space must be use to house a virtual 16 meters
tall golden Buddha image. They will be carrying out Buddhist practices and
ceremonies in front of the Buddha image.
The
user can create their own roof, wall, column, and floor based on the same
layout of the Grand Hall ruin. Each element will be a simple mass of
architecture. However, the user can manipulate and tweak the surface of each
element according to their own desire such as increasing the height of the wall
and ceiling. They an add or subtract from all the surface of the elements.
The
user can select all natural material to be applied to every architectural
elements of their design. The feature was made to embrace the user who is also
non Buddhist but choose to contribute to this virtual platform by the
individual knowledge of his or her own religion. They can also apply the material
to a specific point of the surface, creating a new pattern and atmosphere for
the user of the space.
Candles
will be the main artificial light source and one of the offerings the user will
have. During the Wan Kao Pansa period the user will be able to manipulate the
surface an form of the candle at will to create and mould for aesthetic
quality. This candle will then be offered to the Buddha Image as the Tawaii
Tian ceremony and a way of making merits. Candles can also be placed anywhere
in the space to engulf the user with new arrangement of lighting.
Virtual Headset
The
virtual glasses will be projecting the image from the world camera to enable
the vision of the surrounding. The image of the virtual interface will be overlaid
on top of the surrounding image and is interactive through the creative third
eye on the top. On top is the creative third eye device is the leap motion sensor
that tracks and recognizes the motion and hand gesture to enable the
interaction between the user and the virtual interface. Each hand gesture will
trigger the stimulation and response of the virtual space. The dual world
camera is small in size and is mounted on to the virtual headset as devices for
scanning the visual data the user is looking and sent the acquired data to the
virtual glasses to be projected to the user. Because this real time virtual
interface requires a lot of body movement, the tri lock system will ensure that
the virtual headset is properly fasten to the users head without creating any
discomfort to the user while carrying out the Buddhist practices and
ceremonies. Gilded Thai ornaments are carefully designed onto the virtual
headset as a symbol of human according to the pattern of Thai art. Each
ornament on different part of the headset is derived from the costume pattern
of the human in the Thai pattern, specifically the headwear part.
Final Reasearch: The Grand Hall of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet
The Grand Hall or Grand Vihara is once
used to place the 16 meter tall Golden Buddha called Phra Sri Sanphet. The is the hall that the Royals used to carry
out and perform religious Buddhist ceremonies for the City of Ayutthaya. The
plan of the Grand Hall has a strong axis that leads the people towards the
Gigantic Buddha Image which was latter destroy by the Burmese army. Most part
of the Grand Hall was destroyed in the fire due to the use of wood framing
which causes the whole structure to collaspe. Only the walls and parts of
colums was left to be seen at the current state so most of the part is a flat
plane that is not often visited by the user.
However
the left over part was enough to let the viewer envisage the space of what it
would look like and how it is used during the period fo Krung Sri Ayutthaya. The
transparent Vihara is the state of the Grand Hall before it was destroyed. The
image is being overlayed onto the ruin which shares the same layout. The form
and material is based on the layout and materiality of the ruin as well as the
architectural style of Ayutthaya. The size of the grand hall is the biggest
structure in Wat Phra Sri Sanphet because it must house the 16 meters tall
golden Buddha Image as well as signifying the absolute power of the monarchy
over Krung Sri Ayutthaya.
Most tourists is usually observing the
ruin from a distant because most of the part is left open and visible to the
eye therefore there is no need for the people to walk inside and observe the
ruin. The common type of tourist is foreigners who travel in group tour so that
they may understand what it is. The Grand is surrounded by four other ruins
which is smaller in size and is used to carry out Buddhist ceremonies by local
people during the period of Krung Sri Ayutthaya. The most visited ruin among
the five is the Wihan PhraTri Lokanat because it is located before the
entrance. The most common point of observation is the front part of the ruin
which is the most significant view. Here the user can observe almost every architectural
element of the ruin as well as sharing the same sequence of how the space is
used before during the period of Ayutthaya. Another common point of observation
is from the Chedi Phra Sri Sanphet which enables the user to see the Grand Hall
ruin from above. Because the Chedi Phra Sri Sanpet is the most visited ruin in
the area, this causes the Grand Hall to be observed as much as well.
The ruin of the Wat Phra SRi Sanphet Grand Hall |
the stand of Phra Sri Sanphet were left intacted to the ruin |
It's great and defining!!!
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