The Sublime · הנשגב
The overwhelming feeling of something far greater than ourselves — scale, light, and silence that lift us beyond the everyday.
Beyond Design · MA Project
The Sublime and Awe
From space and society, to a feeling, to a wearable object
This master's project began where Beyond Design always begins — with space and society. I set out to design a Modern Sacred Space: a place of stillness and elevation belonging to no single religion. Step by step it narrowed into two words — the Sublime (הנשגב) and Awe (יראה) — and finally onto the body, as jewelry that lets a person carry the sacred into ordinary days.
A note on the visuals: the concept images throughout this project are AI-generated under my own direction, used as references while the idea develops. The final pieces — the jewelry and the app — will be designed and made entirely by me.
01
Starting from Space
I wanted the overwhelming quiet of a cathedral — made modern, new, and open to everyone.
I've always been drawn to churches and cathedrals — their proportion, their light, their stillness. But I didn't want to copy something old. So the space became a Modern Sacred Space: non-denominational, built on atmosphere rather than religion — a place anyone can enter.
And it could never be only stone and light. I believe architecture should stay in dialogue with nature — that daylight, water, greenery and open sky aren't decoration but part of the structure itself. A sacred space, for me, is one where the built and the natural meet and breathe together. It's a principle I carry into everything I design: to let nature live inside the work, and to treat every space — and every project — with that same care and respect.
02
My Inspiration — Tadao Ando
My turning point was the architect Tadao Ando. His work taught me that the sacred doesn't need ornament — it can be made of raw concrete, daylight, water, and silence. He lets light become the most powerful material in the room, and that is exactly the feeling I was chasing.
Light as architecture. Ando carves entire spaces out of daylight — the same feeling I wanted for my sacred space. He holds grandeur and simplicity at once: sublime and full of awe, yet calm, minimal, and rooted in nature.
03
The Two Words — Sublime & Awe
The space narrowed to two feelings — close, but not the same.
Awe · יראה
The quiet reverence that follows — a humbling stillness that asks us to pause and feel small in a meaningful way.
These were the two concepts I was asked to work with for the project. Everything that follows — both the space and the wearable — is designed around them, so you feel the sublime and the awe without ever needing to name them.
The concept then had to become a product — to take physical form. I chose jewelry: a single small object that can carry both beauty and a whole story.
04
The Spark
“This too shall pass.”
גם זה יעבורKing Solomon — shared across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — asked for something to steady him: in sorrow, to remember joy returns; in joy, that sorrow passes. They brought him a ring with these three words. That one object, meaningful to every faith and worn to this day, is what turned my project toward the body.
05
Jewelry That Carries a Story
I gathered unusual, special jewelry — pieces you don't just wear, but that wear a story. I looked for unexpected places on the body to hold meaning, beyond the obvious ring or necklace.
These are inspiration photos gathered from the internet — references only, not my own work.
A digital experience through jewelry — where a spiritual moment and beauty live in the same object.
06
The Ring — and Its Digital Experience
In developmentThe central piece is a ring in the spirit of Ando — clean geometry, honest material. From there it becomes a digital experience: a small screen set into the ring, paired with a phone app that surfaces simple words through the day.
The screen and digital layer live only in the ring; the rest of the system stays purely physical. I'm designing the companion app alongside it.
07
A Wearable System
ConceptualBeyond the ring, the idea extends across the body — three places I chose for jewelry, each already sacred across cultures.
The references show why each place matters; the sketch shows the piece.
The Head as a Sacred Space
Across cultures and religions, the head is treated as sacred — veiled, crowned, covered in reverence. It holds identity, devotion, and a connection to something greater. I chose head jewelry to make that meaning wearable: the head as a small piece of sacred architecture.
Christian · Islamic · Jewish · bridal · Indian & African — one gesture across many worlds.
The Hands as Sacred Gesture
We bless, pray, give, and protect with our hands. Across cultures the hand is a gesture of presence, offering, and care. Inspired by these gestures and by the language of arches and columns, I chose hand jewelry — turning the hand into a contemporary sacred space.
Presence · Protection · Connection.
The Ear as a Sacred Threshold
Meaning often begins by listening. Inspired by sacred sounds — bells, ceremony, and architectural detail — the ear becomes a symbol of awareness and intuition. I chose ear jewelry to honour listening to what truly matters.
Listening · Resonance · Reflection.
08
The Sacred Space Itself
In progressAlongside the wearables, I'm shaping the space that started it all — through space and design thinking, not as an architect. It lives as two directions, still in sketch.
09
Where It Leads — Two Outcomes
From space and society, through Tadao Ando and two quiet words, the project arrives at two final outcomes — two different forms of the same idea.
A wearable, digital jewel
A sacred piece of jewelry — worn and digital at once — a small escape you can carry anywhere. I'll design it for real, together with its sketches and a working application.
A space, in concept
The concept and process toward a sacred space — not a built building, but a complete idea and direction, reached through space and design thinking.
Both are still in the making. I'll finish the work and share it here.