Into a Universal Sacred Space...

A proposal for the Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition sponsored by United Religions Initiative, responding to their question: is genuine interfaith space possible? The submission by TALES of the EARTH gives form to a theory of spatial organizing principles describing sacred space, presented as the SIX AUSPICIOUS SIGNS of the SACRED LANDSCAPE. Mindful of the importance of landscapes native to individual religious cultures and traditions, this place is designed to welcome and unite people from differing cultures and disciplines, inviting all without distinction nor prejudice.
The corten-steel structure hovers on a cushion of air above the bay near the coast of Iles de la Madeleine: : This location was chosen because the seas belong to everyone, and to no one. Access by boat, arrival at pods, migrating towards the core. A sanctuary is discovered at its centre, surrounded by flexible spaces for gathering and meditation, gardens for circumambulation and food, powered by sun and water. The architecture is inspired by details from designed sacred landscapes. In response to the need for practitioners of each religious culture and tradition to meditate and pray towards a particular cardinal direction, the structure rotates as necessary towards east, south, west or north --- an ephemeral landscape.
See Essay 1:2004.