Architecture for the Pilgrims

Abstract

Pilgrimages like the Camino de Santiago in Spain date back over a thousand years. The reason pilgrims undergo something as physically and mentally challenging as a long distance, multi day hike varies from person to person. The one thing all pilgrims have in common is that they feel the drive to walk. While we might understand the power and importance of walking, we do not always understand how to make architecture that can enhance and more effectively support that experience. The refugio is not a stop along a path, it is part of the path and should be designed to capture the positive aspects of this great experience. When we walk we enter a different state of mind and in order to design for that state we have to understand the Pilgrimage, the Camino, and why we feel the great desire to walk and be a pilgrim. Ultimately, the design of a refugio should complement the experience of walking the Camino.