Ellie Jackson

In this spatial design project, Light Orchestra, natural light is manipulated as an interaction with form and materiality. As the sun moves throughout the day, the variety of spatial energy and rhythm creates intimate and open areas that draw people into a light-infused space zoned by spiritual needs. This design reaches out to make the numinous visible and active. As a spatial designer, I aim to capture the essence of the numinous in the context of Wellington’s Mary Potter Hospice.

Regardless of religious orientation, it is common for those people in the last phase of their life to seek meaning, purpose, peace and a higher level of spiritual awareness. Light’s ability to bridge the sacred and the profane can assist in providing a departure point for spiritual transcendence. The glass roof and glass floor literally and metaphorically hold one between earth and sky to register this transitional phase of life. A glazed ceiling welcomes the sun and stars of all seasons to modulate the space; a labyrinth garden below one’s feet suggests a walking journey as a healing meditative process.