New Zealand Listener 03.14.2020

26 LISTENER MARCH 14 2020

know are either agnostic or atheist,” he says.

(Alayan describes himself as a Muslim at the

more agnostic end of his religion.) “So, we

have all these young people unattached to

religion and there is no space designed to

engage their spirit. Even if you don’t believe

the spirit is a real entity, being spiritually

moved is something everyone is capable of

and engaging the spirit has a huge impact

on our well-being, whether or not you are

religious.”

In plotting four different structures, he

says, the focus of his project remains the

journey rather than the destination. “We are

so time-poor and so obsessed with ‘getting

there’ that creating incentives to pause

on the way is important to experiencing

journeys in general. Even if the spaces were

not designed for the spirit, having that

incentive to pause could mean the journey

becomes more spiritual.

“So, at the end of day, it isn’t a

memorialisation. The design is still tailored

for Fiordland and for the agnostic and atheist

and religious New Zealand spirit and that

was the intention throughout.”

But the effect of the mosque shootings

on his family and his community is also a

context for this strangely elusive work. After

spending time with his family in Christ-

church and joining them on a pilgrimage to

Mecca, he threw himself back into work and

study. “The fact I could be busy and focused

on something I am passionate about, that I

could put myself in that mindset of optimism

through the research, that had an impact.”

“HE WAS MY BIGGEST MENTOR”

Although initially reluctant to present his

thesis in the context of the March shoot-

ings, he was encouraged during the lead-up

to the awards to acknowledge the role the

shootings had played in pursuing his project.

“It was tricky. I was hesitant to be defined

by what happened and how it affected my

THE HEALING PROCESS

“I attend Friday prayers

and there’s a bit of stress

in finding a car park, but

sitting down and being

with the community

in that moment has

a massive impact on

your well-being.”

Hopeful, ethereal and elegant:

drawings from Abdallah

Alayan’s 2019 NZIA Resene

Student Design Award-winning

work Faith in Fiordland.