Living Together: Designing Interreligious Spaces in the Plural City

Except for the pandemic period, during which an inevitable decline in migration flows was recorded, the past decade has witnessed an exponential increase in migration numbers. This growth is undoubtedly linked to the geopolitical instability of Europe’s borders, driven by the war between Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, in the future, climate change could also significantly impact migration patterns, particularly movements from the Global South to the North. Migration has long been a priority for the European Union, which has adopted various measures to manage migratory flows and improve the asylum system. It is, therefore, our responsibility to foster an increasingly inclusive and multicultural society, ensuring the peaceful coexistence of Europe’s future social fabric. This contribution presents the departmental research project titled “Interreligious Cultural Center: a place of prayer and dialogue for the three monotheistic religions, from u-topia to building typology for the third millennium” (Department of Architecture and Design (DIAP) of Sapienza University of Rome, CEI—Italian Episcopal Conference, COREIS—Islamic Religious Community of Italy, and the Jewish Community), in which the authors have actively participated. Finally, the paper outlines the design outcomes developed within the Second-Level Master’s Program Design of Religious Buildings at Sapienza University of Rome. This work explores new interreligious and intercultural typologies within urban public spaces, such as cemeteries and interfaith centres, as well as emerging spaces for dialogue and prayer in prisons and schools.