Spiritual Pavilion

Through its quality, dimension, form, light and shadow, and temperature, space influences our well-being and, above all, our state of mind.
A disordered space that’s tight, dark and uncomfortable will never be able to lift our spirit.
Spirituality has something mysterious.  Mystery that makes us think and, sometimes meditate.
Space – with quality, dimension, form, light and shadow, and perfect temperature – is something that fits the body, lifting the mind, providing well-being, making us meditate on the mysterious, supporting our search for being and for goodness.

The Spiritual Pavilion was planned so that, immediately on approach, one would get closer to the mysterious.
We are bewildered by the volumes that rise skyward, as if searching for something. Or, to receive something.
We enter through a narrow doorway.  Compressed.
First the smaller volume. An antechamber and functional.

At the connecting opening, we feel the larger space, which descends to connect us with the filtered light coming down from way up above.
We sit down.
Two benches face each other. We are at ground level. A low and long window allows the outside in.
We pause, and our spirit enjoys the quality, dimension, form, light and shadow and comfort. We are well within ourselves and with our spirit.
Inside us, something rises up, or slowly descends, as do the light and the silence.
Silence. We pause. We are.

We take in the space in a small pavilion, where architecture seeks out the function of the form, through dimension, light and shadow. And through temperature.

Our spiritual comfort in a small pavilion.
Four materials. Concrete for the base and floors. Timber for the structure and interiors. Glass for the openings. Copper sheeting for exterior.
Small from the outside and huge inside. Introspective.

Like the soul… or the spirit.

Carlos Castanheira