Title: Temple of the Modern Apollo
Location of Proejct: Delphi, Greece
Project Completion Date: November 2021
Firm Name:

Short Description: Apollo was seen as the male kouros or the ideal male body form and identity. From some stories like that of Apollo and Hyacinthus, we know that he did not strictly adhere to traditional values of masculinity. So by taking inspiration from the depictions of Apollo and modern standards of gender and sexuality, he and this temple can become a vessel for a new and ideal for of modern masculinity, one that is not limited to an individuals sexuality or gender.

Architect's Statement: The story of Hyacinthus and Apollo was the basis for the concept of this project. Hyacinthus was a beautiful Spartan prince beloved by the god Apollo. Though Apollo was not the only one in love with Hyacinthus, but so was Zephyrus, the west wind. Seeing how attached Apollo and Hyacinthus were, he grew jealous. One day, as the two lovers were playing discus, Zephyrus deliberately blows the discus into Hyacinthus’ path, hitting him in the head and killing him. Apollo held his dying love in his arms, desperately trying to use his skill with medicine to keep him alive. But even the mighty god of healing could not save the one he loved. In honor of his love, Apollo takes his blood and sprouts a new flower, the Hyacinth.

This story shows how a god that is thought of as the perfect male form and portrayal of masculinity and strength is all subverted by the death of his lover, instead showing a more kind and gentle side to Apollo. It conveys his distress and mourning for his dead lover, willing to do anything to bring him back instead of other means such as getting revenge on his murderer. A man is more than his form or masculinity; he is defined by his actions and how he carries himself. This project aims to show masculinity in a new light by using Apollo as a vessel to convey it.

Aristotle was one of the first to comment on the sex of men and women. He argued that women were a deformity that ordinarily occurs throughout nature, stating that women were imperfect men. Thomas Laquer, an American historian, explains that it was common thought until the beginning of the 18th century that men and women were both sexes that originate from one sex, also known as the one sex model.

The two-sex model was the basis for how sex and gender are thought of today, though it was mostly made for political and philosophical reasons. Scientists and experts focused on the physical and biological differences in genitalia to make two distinct sexes, leading to the inference of there only being two distinct genders. Anything that fell outside of those boundaries was seen as abnormal. This also established the gender roles of modern times and became a justification that women are of a lower status than men.

Today there is more than just male and female. The gender spectrum is expansive and, most importantly, can be different than an individual’s sex or genitalia. Sex is typically assigned at birth based on if the baby has a penis or a vagina. Gender is often assigned or assumed based on a person’s sex. But gender is more than that and, most importantly, separate from sex. It is a self-identity and expression. Gender can even change throughout a person’s life.

Andreas Vesalius is a 16th-century physician who forever changed anatomy through his writings and drawings. In recent years, his work has gained traction again to help explain the current state of gender and sexual fluidity. His work described the vagina as an interior penis, the womb as a scrotum, and the ovaries as testicles. While this comparison is not literal in terms of function, it is more of a representative connection. He described bodies as being more illustrative and symbolic rather than definitive or defining who a person is. To be male or female is a cultural role to be filled. Sex is a universal principle, while reproductive organs are merely instruments.

The main form of this project aims to emphasize the same theories made in Andreas Vesalius’s work. From above, it takes an abstracted form of a penis. From the front entry, it looks like a vagina. So overall, the structure becomes an organ that embraces the idea of similarities between the penis and vagina and their inverse physical relationship. The site and structure is designed to reflect elements from the story of Apollo and Hyacinthus by incorporating the Hyacinth flowers in the planters and the red glass representing the blood of Apollo’s dead lover.

The layout adheres to the original plan of the structure. The exterior columns are in the exact locations and remain in their original material and form. The interior columns stay in their same places as well, while changing into arches to match the form of the walls. The exterior walls run along the same location as the walls in the original plan. The ruins that exist on the site are preserved under a reinforced glass floor so visitors can still admire what came before.