Isabella Ruggiero
The Infinite Plane:
Metaphysical Architecture and Digital Space
Cosmology is the human interpretation of space. While modern science sees the universe as a single, undifferentiated space, medieval thought divided it into distinct realms like Heaven and Hell. In the digital age, a similar duality emerges: physical and digital realms. Screens become portals to digital spaces akin to churches linking celestial and earthly realms. Dante used verse, Renaissance architects used churches, and today, code shapes digital landscapes and structures. Architectural representation, from drawings to VR, offers dynamic views of space and time, where VR becomes both representation and the architecture itself. Yet, like the Church, digital mythology presents complexities (e-waste) and exclusions (cost, expertise), challenging our views of architecture's role in shaping reality and the architect's place in this digital realm. Using The Divine Comedy as a drawing subject, this thesis is a technical experiment in narrative and immersion through virtual reality and digital modeling.
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