The Citicorp Plaza serves as a testament to the intertwined narratives of religion and finance, shaping the late 1970s wealth landscape. Concealed beneath its architectural façade lies a profound relationship between St. Peter’s church and the bank, driven by the transformative force of money. Through deep listening and innovative design interventions, this project seeks to unearth the hidden ties and explore the convergence of God and capital. By focusing on the collaboration between Christianity and capitalism, the thesis investigates how architectural interventions can expose and amplify this once-secret dialogue, transforming it into an audible narrative for public awareness and historical understanding.
The final intervention aims to foster meaningful dialogue between Christianity and capitalism, beginning with physical separation at street level and reconnected with a chamber for whispered communication underground creating a transparent interconnection. The church, transformed into a dynamic sound amplifier, boasts kinetic double louvers featuring two distinct layers: a wooden layer facing the street and a glass layer directed towards the church. This design facilitates the seamless transfer of sound, unveiling the dialogue between the two entities. A sound cone at street level invites the public to actively engage in listening to the dialogue, while wooden cladding in the façade connects to organ pipes through sound posts, creating a vibrant skin for the church. With the once-hidden communication between the bank and the church now audible and visible to the public, their dialogue emerges from secrecy, symbolizing the revealed collaboration between God and money.
