HYPO SPACE

A small sunken path leads you to an opening into the meditation space, located within a transitional woodland and open ground. The design is framed in the round, skinned in a woven pattern of white concrete. From certain perspectives its massing appears to hover above the ground; the structure held up by a Hypostyle arrangement of ‘stripped down’ logs – a nature inspired, metaphoric nod to trees of the woodland it sits in. Upon entry, as you move upward, one might be struck by a large sculpture of The Buddha, who sits on a concrete base within a small pool that casts reflections about the space. The rim of the building, both above and its perimeter is open to light.

From side to side, there is opportunity to center one’s self, a space of and within nature – on the Earth – and in peace. Set within the concrete – at front of The Buddha – is a large symbol for “Om”. Originating in Hinduism; Om is the seed of transcendental sound, and it is through transcendental sound one can transform the mind and the senses. By chanting Om, the mind becomes aligned with the breath, which enables a person to get into an elevated state of consciousness called “samadhi”.

Size: 1,257 ft²

Phase: Concept