Whitaker, Grady W.

Khayyam Chapel - a place of solitude and contemplation. Grady W. Whitaker. Texas Tech University, Architecture Faculty of the College of Architecture, 1990.

In the context of translating one art form into another, this thesis will concentrate on the the use of literature as an inspiration to design a physical object. The literature selected for this thesis is the Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam, in which Khayyam discusses the relationship between man and God. Although the Rubaiyat is not a descriptive piece of literature, it is believed that it will provide the inspiration needed to create a great piece of architecture - a chapel. The chapel itself is to be an ecumenical structure and dedicated to Omar Khayyam's thoughts contained in the Rubiayat. The chapel is to be a place where a person can escape the everyday world in hope of gaining a better understanding of himself and his surroundings (be it physical or metaphysical). The goal of this chapel is to create a place of solitude and contemplation within a context that is juxtaposed.