Universal Sacred Space

Universal Sacred Space

General Description
This is a universal sacred space. It includes a main building as well as its immediate surrounding area. Followers of all religious groups and world-views as well as individuals who do not identify with a specific ideological or religious conviction are equally welcome. The main goal of the place is to offer a calm, spiritual, and inspirational atmosphere without making anyone feel excluded based on their believes. In order to achieve this universality, many aspects of the place are kept as vague as possible. This allows the largest number of individuals to connect their own interpretations and world-views with the place.

Architectural Design
The main element of the space is a two-story building. Each story holds one large room. The bottom story is underground and has no windows. The walls of the top story room mostly consist of large windows. The entire building is shaped in a circle. The roof is dome-shaped. An accessible balcony is encircling the building at the level of the top story.

Harmony with Nature
The place is located in the Texas Hill Country on top of a hill in the midst of an opening in the forest. The outside of the building is painted in earthy colors that fit in with the natural surroundings. On the inside, along with the same earthy colors, abstract murals symbolizing the sun and the moon are painted in subtle tones of blue, yellow, and purple. The building is made out of rammed earth – a natural building material with high energy efficiency.
Furthermore, no artificial light is used, which further emphasizes the closeness to nature. Since the bottom room has no windows, candles are the only light sources. A large number of candles are installed securely in shielded shelf racks along the walls. More candles are placed in shielded, simplistic chandeliers across the room. In addition to the candles, during daylight, the top storey room also has natural lighting from the large windows as well as a panoramic view onto the natural surroundings.
A small pond with a waterfall is located to the side of the building. The surrounding region offers small quiet paths, meditative areas with benches or rocks to sit on, and abstract sculptures scattered throughout the area up to the forest.

Symbolism and Sacred Objects
No sacred objects are present in the place to avoid any tendencies of favoring one world-view over another. The purpose of the place demands the absence of any such objects. However, individuals are welcome to bring their own sacred objects for the duration of their stay, provided that they keep them on themselves and take them with them when they leave. Should any objects remain at the end of the day, they will be collected and sent to a lost-and-found office. This is done in an effort to prevent the possibility of one religion dominating the place, such as by displaying their specific symbols and objects.

Symbolism is mostly found in the choice and shapes. The figure of the circle is repeated in variations in the building’s overall shape, its dome, and a large spiral that is painted on the floor in yellow, blue, and purple. These round forms as well as the sun and moon murals on the walls emphasize the openness of the place and at the same time represent the lifecycle.
Other elements of the place are symbolic as well in an equally broad and vague manner. The pond and waterfall symbolize the connection of the individual to humanity and all life, as water is a necessity for all living things. The sun and moon murals inside the building represent the continuity of the human lifecycle. The sun provides guidance during the day, the moon during the night.

How it is Used
The main building as well as the surrounding park area is accessible 24 hours every day of the year. Everyone who is respectful of the quiet atmosphere of the place is welcome. Visitors come to pray, meditate, perform Yoga, or just spend some quiet time away from their stresses and demands of their daily life. The abstract and open forms and the integration with nature are all aimed at creating a quiet and meditative atmosphere. Visitors can choose between the dark, candle-lit room and the brighter upper room, as well as the balcony or various places outside the building to find their own quiet place. The dark, lower section of the building can function as an escape from the world and all the dangers and demands that come with it, while in the upper section the large windows create a sense of oneness with nature while being sheltered inside. The balcony then, and even more so the surrounding park area, allows individuals to connect to the outside nature without barriers. Thus, the elements of the place can invite to meditate on the relation of the self to the outside world. All furniture is freely movable. Simplistic chairs and benches, as well as bean bags and mats are provided, and visitors are welcome to bring their own mats or pillows. Furniture is purposely limited, however, in order to preserve the openness and cleanliness of the place rather than creating chaos by cluttering the place and its atmosphere. Maintenance of the place is largely financed through donations.