Architectural Atmospheres for Spiritual Constructs: A Systematic Literature Review and Practice-Based Interviews in the Post-COVID Era

Architectural atmosphere for spirituality holds potential to support the physical and mental health of post-COVID urban populations, and people now spend more of their lives within buildings even as opportunities for spiritual engagement recede. Yet evidence-based knowledge for designing such environments remains limited. This study aimed to identify the architectural atmospheres for spiritual constructs through a systematic literature review and practice-based interviews conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Scopus-indexed publications and architects’ relevant expertise were analyzed using thematic content analysis, while word frequency and bivariate association analyses were employed to identify key architectural characteristics and their associations with spiritual constructs. The findings indicate that a holistic atmospheric approach should integrate spatial, perceptual, and natural features. Tangible atmospheric features such as space, natural materials, and object elements emerged as most prominent, alongside intangible features including illumination, acoustics, and temperature conditions. At the use-effect level, spatial experience and perception were most frequently reported. Positive spiritual constructs were linked to symbolic objects, sensory experiences, and lighting conditions, whereas negative spiritual constructs were primarily associated with temperature conditions. Future studies should extend inquiry across diverse linguistic, cultural, and temporal contexts while empirically validating the proposed framework in real-world environments.