A Place for Prayer

Prayer is a way for people to connect with themselves, express gratitude, and  articulate their thoughts and feelings. The design emphasizes light, water, and connection to nature. The fact that the location is partially beneath and completely open from where it emerges shows the linkages with outside places. The courtyards, pergolas, and clerestory provide variations in shadows. Individual prayer niches are enclosed by a water channel that collects water from the ceiling openings. The prayer niches are fully underground and get light from the sky as well as indirect light from the courts. The prayer in the niches is intended to take place with the sound of running water and the direction of light.