MYSTERY SCHOOL

Status: Concept Stage

The Mystery School is a sculptural meditation on the transformative power of light and dark. Nestled into a pristine rural landscape, the small circular building presents this binary from a distance - a full glass rotunda sitting atop a solid, windowless object. The program that drives this unique building is the combination of a “light room” and a “dark room”. The dark room is a space for personal reflection and deep meditation through extended-stay darkness retreats. Occupants inhabit the space for hours or days, cutting off all visual stimuli, which allows for a truly transformative experience. Subtle tactile changes on the floor texture allow for sightless navigation. In contrast, the light room is a space for sonic healing and meditation through sublime musical experiences. Fully surrounded by windows and a large circular oculus above, the light room baths the occupants in sunlight. The architectural forms and materials aim to eliminate barriers to the natural world through these transformative experiences by deploying edgeless circular forms, smooth stucco and glass materials, and the elimination of any superfluous elements.