The edge meditation centre

A unique meditation centre by the Mediterranean Sea has been conceived in a terrain with a broken topography due to the former premises. The project, integrated in the surrounding nature, creates a visual continuity of the hills up to the sea front, but also an interrelation of the urban centre with a path that steps into the ´Cap de Creus´ natural park.

The project, consisting of a unique meditation centre by the Mediterranean sea, creates a visual continuity from the hills up to the sea front, but also a link of the urban centre with a pedestrian path that steps into the ‘Cap de Creus’ natural park. This connection is achieved by using the roof of the building as a public viewpoint. Meditation is focused on the search of the inner piece and awakening of the consciousness by satisfying, on the way, some physical, psychological and spiritual needs. The project adopts these concepts together with simplicity and functionality to create a hub of spaces that invite to reflection, introspection and personal healing, using architecture as a mediator between the nature and people. The simplicity is depicted in the building’s overall shape: a crack, or an ‘edge’, placed between the mountain and the sea, around which the different spaces are vertebrate. The nature is intrinsically included in many ways: the building is embedded in the mountain’s rock, native plants are found in the outer spaces, and the project is totally embraced by sea. The water, the air, the stone and the light have been centrepieces in the creative process. Another crucial concept employed in the design has been the word ‘transition’, understood as a smooth passage from an old state to a novel one; this, in the present case entails passing from noise to silence, from outside to the inside, from the stress of the daily activities to meditation, from the chaos to the inner peace. Regarding climate strategy, the building has been lifted up to avoid direct impact of the waves in stormy days. The contact with the mountain rock in the east façade confers the building a natural and stable temperament. The north façade consists in a wall to stop the assiduous wind gusts of the zone. A cross ventilation system has been implemented, as well as a thick concrete slab between the public viewpoint and the centre floor, for acoustic isolation. Additionally, the extensive use of natural light, the rainwater use, and the autochthonous construction materials, contribute to an overall low ecological footprint.