SPIRITUALITY IN

ARCHITECTURE

9919014011
KAVIN G
HYPOTHESIS
• ALL ATTENTION IS DEPENDENT ON THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE
SITE, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE BUILDING.

AIM
• ANALYZE ARCHITECTURAL QUALITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
CREATION OF THE SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT AND VIBRATE THE
CONTEMPLATIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE SOUL FOR USERS.
OBJECTIVES
• INVESTIGATE THE SPIRITUAL QUALITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

• A COMPARISON OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT OF VARIOUS

MEDITATION CENTRES.

• TO UNDERSTAND AND STUDY THE QUALITATIVE PARAMETERS (SHAPE,

GEOMETRY, PHILOSOPHY, ELEMENTS) OF SPIRITUAL SPACES.

• IDENTIFICATION AND CONCLUSION OF THE IMPACT OF THESE SPACES

ON USERS.
SCOPE
• The scope of this study would include an understanding of the
spiritual aspects of architecture in terms of meditation centers.

• Why open spaces are preferred for meditation?

RESEARCH QUESTION
• What is spiritual space?
• Why open spaces are preferred for meditation?
• How Nature Awakens Your Meditation Environment?
• Why Meditation Is Easier In Nature?
• Scales and Proportions of structures Important in Meditational
Space?
• Role of geometry and form in spiritual spaces?
Introduction
Spirituality, derived from the word "spirit", is a broad concept that is
open to many perspectives. Generally, it involves a sense of connection
with something greater than ourself and usually involves a search for
the meaning of life. It takes some time to recognize and analyze your
innermost consciousness. Only then do we realize the importance of
self-healing and self-awareness.People are now more attracted to
what's outside than what's inside them.
Architecture is the phenomenon that defines the quality of the built
environment while accommodating various functions. Architecture is
more than just designing physical cases and buildings. On the contrary,
it is the expression of thoughts,preferences, beliefs, and feelings in
constructed form that symbolically communicates with the user.
Spirituality is for all cultures and people from all communities are
encouraged to embark on this journey. Spiritual architecture therefore
serves the wider community by bringing all cultures together in her one
place for spiritual practice. Architecture refers to the spirit of a place,
the environment in which people conduct their daily activities. Such
places can be defined by cosmic, spiritual and natural qualities.
Case studies

Matrimandir, Auroville Lotus temple, Delhi Osho dham, Delhi

 LOTUS TEMPLE
WHY LOTUS TEMPLE?
The Lotus Temple is one of the easiest
places in the world to understand
spirituality. The Oneness of God, the
Oneness of Religions, and the Oneness
of Man are all taught in the teachings of
the Bahai faith. The temple is a place to
worship the creator of the universe and
not one particular deity, so people of all
religions and races are welcome. People
of all faiths are welcome inside, but
there is no deity to be worshiped. This LOCATION: NEW DELHI YEAR:1986
temple's form and structure made it an ARCHITECT: Ar.FARIBAZ SAHBA
ideal case to study. SITE AREA: 24 ACRES
CONCEPT
In Hindu architecture, despite the external differences between the
different temples, one common factor is that they all carry important
and sacred symbols common to all religions of India, The symbols have
even spread to other countries and religions. One of the symbols of
nature is the sacred Indian flower, the "Lotus".
The lotus represents the manifestation of God and is also a symbol of
purity and tenderness. Its meaning is deeply ingrained in the minds and
hearts of Indians. There is a deep and universal reverence for the lotus
which is considered a fearsome flower. has been associated with the
sect for centuries.
The Baha'i faith is said to embody in itself the nine major faiths of the
world and in order to symbolise this, each component of the temple is
repeated nine times.
Conceptually inspired this flower symbolizes purity and holiness in the Hindu
tradition is the reason that the architect developed it to this temple. This
concept had to be converted to defined geometric shapes such as spheres,
cylinders, toroids and cones, which translate into equations subsequently
used as a basis for structural analysis and engineering drawings.
THE TEMPLE COMPLEX
The temple complex includes the Main House of Worship, the Annex, which
houses the Visitor Center, the Library and Administration Building, and the
Restrooms Area. Set amidst a vast expanse of grass, the temple rises on a large
pillar with columns against the lotus-shaped superstructure, which houses the
assembly area.
ARCHITECTURE
• The Lotus Temple gives the impression of a floating, semi-open lotus
flower, surrounded by its leaves. Each element of the temple is repeated
nine times.
• It is formed from 27 giant marble petals that envelop the interior space,
respecting the circular alignment of Bahá'í architecture. The interior can
accommodate 2500 people.
• It is accessed by nine bridges that span the nine ponds that surround the
temple and provide access to nine gates.
• The doors lead to a central area up to 40 meters in height, but there are
no obvious supports.
• The temple is surrounded by gardens and its location in the center of the
pond gives the impression of a giant lotus flower floating on the water.
• The white marble exterior cladding ensures that the building is visible
from a distance and shines in the sun's rays, turning purple at dusk.
GEOMETRY
• From the outside, the lotus has three pairs of leaves or petals, all made up of
a thin concrete shell.
• The outermost group of nine petals, called the "entrance petals", opens
outwards to form nine entrances around the outer annular hole.
• His next nine petals are called "outer leaves" and point inwards. The inlet
and outer wings together span the vestibule.
• His third group of nine petals, called the "inner leaf", appears to be partially
closed. Only the tip opens, like a partially open bud. this part. It forms the
main building with the central hall.
• Since the Lotus is open at the top, a glass and steel roof at the level of the
radial beams protects it from rain and allows natural light to enter the
auditorium easily.
• Beneath the entrance and outer lobes rise nine enormous arches in a ring. A
series of steps through each arch leads to the main hall.
• The inner leaf surrounds the inner dome with a canopy of ribs and shells
that intersect in an intricate pattern.
MATRIMANDIR, AUROVILLE
WHY MATRIMANDIR?
At the heart of Auroville is Matrimandir,
the 'soul of the city', in a large open area
called the 'Park of Unity' where the future
community radiates outwards. A world-
renowned spiritual space for meditation.
Known for its iconic shape and structure,
it attracts tourists from all over the world.
Spreading the idea of ​Sri Aurobindo's
teachings on the concept of the 'universal
mother', there are many elements that
make this place a perfect example of LOCATION: AUROVILLE,TN
spirituality in architecture.
YEAR:1971-2008
ARCHITECT: ROGER ANGER
INNER CHAMBER
The spacious interior rooms in the upper
hemisphere of the Matri Mandir are all white
with white marble walls and stark white carpets.
At the center is a pure crystal glass sphere that
receives an electronically directed beam of
sunlight through an opening in the top of the
sphere. This glowing orb casts natural light into
the inner room.
The 12 pillars inside the chamber are made of
steel. It stands upright around the mother
symbol, ending abruptly in the middle of the
room, with the open end pointing to the ceiling,
indicating continuous length. Thus, his twelve-
pillar room in the Matrimandir represents the
"thousand-pillar home" of heaven.
THE FOUR PILLARS
The four pillars that support
the structure of the
Matrimandir and carry the
Inner Chamber are placed in
the four main directions of
the compass. They describe
four aspects or individuals
maternal character.
• Maheshwari (south pillar)
• Mahakali (north pillar)
• Mahalakshmi (east pillar)
• Mahasarawati (west pillar)
SACRED GEOMETRY
• The pyramid's golden cross-section and proportions are precisely
incorporated into its cross-section.
• The symbolism of Sri Aurobindo was also found to correspond exactly to
the Shaligram, the form on which the Matrimandir was constructed. In
other words, there are two triangles with the same proportions as the inner
Pyramid.
• The energy field inside the Pyramid is located at 1/3 of its height. If we
project this onto two triangles inside the Shaligram, we will have a band of
about 110 cm where the energy field will be concentrated. This marching
band will be in the Inner Room, exactly where everyone will sit.
• Matrimandir is a great example that has all the spiritual qualities such as
natural light, the size and proportions of the hall, the passage of the inner
chamber, the colors and textures, the landscape, the presence of lotus
flowers and surrounding waters.
• The form of the plan and the vertical proportions in keeping with the
sacred geometry and the concept of the Cosmic Mother make the
Matrimandir an ideal place for contemplation.