The Shaker City Dance Hall

Abstract

This thesis explores Shaker (architectural) intentionality through an examination of and proposed addition to the Shaker’s Holy City design template. The Holy City drawing and its accompanying text, ‘Explanations of the Holy City with its various parts and appendices pointed out’, depict a master plan of Shaker ‘Heaven’ and template from which Shaker settlements were to be constructed. This thesis proposes the addition of a meeting house design to the Holy City master plan, an addition through which intrinsic elements of Shaker architecture may be readily understood. The project encompasses two stages. The first involves an overall analysis of the Holy City, Shaker meeting house and village typologies. Secondly, ‘drawing’ upon the lessons arising from the analysis, the project proposes the addition of a meeting house to the Holy City documents. The proposed design is sited within the Holy City map and retrospectively mediates the Shakers idealized and constructed works.