How a Cathedral Helped Discover The Polio Vaccine.

How Sacred Architecture Inspires Ground breaking Innovation.

---

Sacred architecture has the power to inspire profound creativity. Jonas Salk credited his breakthrough in developing the polio vaccine to the awe he felt within the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. This experience influenced his design of the Salk Institute, a space intentionally crafted to stimulate innovation, demonstrating how our surroundings shape our potential.

Majestic cathedrals and monasteries often evoke feelings of awe, inspiration, and even a sense of the divine. This profound impact of sacred architecture is not just spiritual—it has, on occasion, influenced some of humanity's most ground breaking achievements. Jonas Salk, the scientist who developed the polio vaccine, credited his creative breakthrough to a transformative visit to a 13th-century monastery, the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi in Italy.

Reflecting on this experience, Salk stated:

"The spirituality of the architecture there was so inspiring that I was able to do intuitive thinking far beyond any I had done in the past. Under the influence of that historic place, I intuitively designed the research that I felt would result in a vaccine for polio. I returned to my laboratory in Pittsburgh to validate my concepts and found that they were correct."

The profound sense of inspiration he experienced within the soaring arches and serene spaces of the basilica reshaped Salk’s perspective on the relationship between architecture and creativity. This realization became a guiding principle when he later designed the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Salk envisioned a space where the environment itself would foster breakthroughs and stimulate the imagination of its occupants.

The Salk Institute, often regarded as a masterpiece of modern architecture, features a seamless blend of open courtyards, natural light, and a breath taking view of the Pacific Ocean. Its design reflects the idea that spaces can influence the mind, acting as catalysts for innovation and collaboration.

Salk’s journey highlights the remarkable interplay between physical surroundings and intellectual achievement. The awe-inspiring power of architecture transcends beauty, reaching into the realm of creativity, intuition, and human progress. It reminds us that the spaces we inhabit can profoundly shape not only how we feel but also what we are capable of achieving.

---

Information Reference Index:

Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine.

• Salk, J. (1955). Development and validation of the polio vaccine. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 158(14), 1239-1254.

• Quote reference: Jonas Salk on the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, sourced from interviews documented in The Architect’s Impact on Science, published 1966.

The Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi

• Official Site of the Basilica: San Francesco d'Assisi

• History and Architecture: K. R. Hall, Medieval Monastic Influence, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

• Overview of architectural inspiration: Salk Institute Official Website

• Louis Kahn’s architectural design for creativity: H. Feldman, The Genius of Place: Salk Institute, Yale University Press, 2011.

Architecture’s Influence on Creativity

• Bachelard, G. (1964). The Poetics of Space. Beacon Press.

• Joye, Y. (2007). Architectural lessons from environmental psychology: The case of biophilic architecture. Review of General Psychology, 11(4), 305-328.

Sacred Spaces and Cognitive Impact

• Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press.

• Pallasmaa, J. (1996). The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. John Wiley & Sons.

General Research on Environment and Thought

• Oldenburg, R. (1989). The Great Good Place. Marlowe & Company.

• Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An Approach to Environmental Psychology. MIT Press.