Rambam holds that the main purpose of the Mikdash is for avodah etc even subsuming the service keilim under ועשו לי מקדש etc.
The Aron—as a non service vessel—is conspicuously absent from hilchos beis habechirah which is where Rambam treats of the other klei hamikdash.
Ramban argues, positing that the main purpose of the Mishkan is to house the Shechinah there on top of the Aron among Israel and to be able to communicate with them. He reiterates many a time that HaShem is the יושב כרובים.
The Aron was absent from the second mikdash presumably due to the fact that the Aron is inherently lacking if it is not housing the luchos which went missing with the first Aron.
A Mikdash sans Aron makes sense acc to Rambam's conception of the Mikdash however acc to Ramban that the main point is for the Shechinah to reside there which seemingly requires an Aron then what place is there for a Mikdash without an Aron which presumably equals no Shechinah, it's ostensibly similar to having an Aron without luchos.
In Ramban's thought is the Shechinah not crucial for the Mikdash's existence?
If it is, is the Aron not a deal breaker for השראת שכינה?
Did they build it hoping that the Aron would eventually resurface?
Thoughts? Sources?
