Interfaith meeting

March 11, 2010
Coffee shop, 12 or so people. Half pagan, half Christian. Discussing Faith and Space: the role buildings and spatial environments have on our experience of the divine.

The Questions:
What places are meaningful to you?
What role does space play in your understanding of faith?
What environments are most conducive to reflection, feeling close to god, reflecting on your spiritual center?
Can space feel inspired or sacred without symbol or iconic form?
Do any materials resonate with you?

The Answers:
Varied and revealing. Opinionated and informative. Far too long to post all of them.


The Important Notes:
Emphasis on wandering, progression or sequence through space;
A multiplicity of events

Having an entrance that is not initially obvious is ok. It encourages the visitor to seek.
Integration of garden and architecture
Disrupt traditional hierarchy
Grand Gathering is more useful than Grand Contemplation
Many entrances
"Communitas": a shared individual experience


Generally, I feel validated for some of the initial decisions or instincts I had. A few of the suggestions are helpful in forming a direction for the problems I am struggling to overcome (specifically entrance and procession into the contemplation space).
Definitely helpful.