히에로파니 개념을 통한 지추미술관의 전시공간 표현 분석 연구

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) As major cultural institutions in contemporary society, museums trace their origins to sacred spaces, such as tombs and sanctuaries, where art was once dedicated to the divine. Today’s exhibition spaces evoke a sense of sacred silence and solemnity, and viewers’ experiences are often likened to the contemplation of sacred offerings. This study explores museum exhibition spaces through the lens of religious studies, and proposes a new interpretive and design framework for secular cultural facilities. Focusing on Eliade’s concept of hierophany—the physical manifestation of the sacred in the real world—this study analyzes the spatial expression of the Chichu Art Museum in Japan. This study aims to demonstrate how this perspective can be extended beyond religious contexts to inform the spatial logic and symbolism of various cultural spaces. (Method) First, the background of the Chichu Art Museum and its exhibition configuration are examined along with the humanistic characteristics of the concept of hierophany. Second, prior research is reviewed to understand the relationship between hierophany and the exhibition space, and to identify the conceptual architectural components that define the scope of analysis. Third, the concept of hierophany is applied as an analytical lens to examine museum spaces through a specific case. Fourth, based on the derived framework, detailed spatial expressions within the Chichu Art Museum are analyzed to draw conclusions. (Results) Through the lens of hierophany, the exhibition spaces of the Chichu Art Museum manifest three key spatial expressions. First, as a transformative threshold, the museum’s earth-buried structure and concealed circulation separate the exhibition from the secular world, while its chaotic paths guide the visitor toward a cosmic order symbolized by an axis mundi. Second, as symbolic mediation, its geometric forms, materiality, and sky-facing openings are reinterpreted through Eliade’s framework to signify wholeness, power, and purification, linking the viewer and artworks to the cosmos. Third, as a transformative experience, the pilgrimage-like circulation invites individual agency, and the use of natural light evokes temporal rhythms that reveal a latent potential for renewal. This holistic experience, which prompts a shift in visitor perception, results from a collaborative design process between architects and artists. (Conclusions) This study examines the exhibition space of the Chichu Art Museum using the concept of hierophany, revealing religious expressions embedded in a non-religious cultural facility. It identifies spatial techniques that enable such expressions and suggests that hierophany, as a concept manifested in real objects and places, may serve as both an interpretive lens for cultural spaces and a basis for spatial design. These findings indicate the potential for future research to expand to broader applications in spatial design.