Humanities Seminar Program: Lightscapes and Liminality in Premodern Architecture

Wednesday

10 AM - 12 PM

September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, and 12, 2025

Course Format: Hybrid

Location: Main Campus

Tuition: $295

How do buildings shape our experiences of light—and what deeper meanings emerge through that interplay? This ten-week seminar explores how architects in premodern societies used light as both a design tool and a symbol of transformation. Drawing on the anthropological concept of liminality, we will examine religious, civic, and ceremonial structures from Europe, the Middle East, and beyond to understand how light contributes to sensory, emotional, and cultural transitions. Participants will learn to “read” architecture through the play of shadow and illumination, gaining insights into materiality, geometry, orientation, and celestial alignment. Illustrated lectures will guide students through both well-known and lesser-studied structures, showing how the somatic experience of space enriches our understanding of history, spirituality, and design. The course will culminate in a thoughtful discussion about the continued relevance of these ancient techniques in our modern built environments.

 For more information, contact Laura Hollengreen at laura.hollengreen@gmail.com. To register, go to: https://hsp.arizona.edu/course/lightscapes-and-liminality/