A center for the study of world religions and mythologies, this project provides an educational center, a place for learning about religions and myths from around the world. This center provides a place to understand the essence of man’s “struggle toward the heights” as well as the history of that labor, its impact on society. Although education is the primary function of the project, worship is supported and encouraged with various areas available for meditation. These meditation areas support both private reflection and congregation. The primary functional areas of the complex consist of: a gallery, an amphitheater, a lecture hall, a library.

These very different building types are tied together through a common language of structure that expresses our understanding of man’s place between earth and light, and our “struggle towards the heights”.

I chose the site located at the bridge over Rock Creek Park on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington D.C., for its relationship to the city and for its dramatic sense of place. The capital city of a country founded, in part, by people seeking freedom from religious persecution, Washington D.C. provided highly appropriate for this project. Additionally, people of diverse religious backgrounds and national origins inhabit the District of Columbia, making it a multicultural city. Further, known as Embassy Row, Massachusetts Avenue houses a large number of embassies. To support this highly multinational area, religious buildings of various denominations blanket Massachusetts Avenue. Finally the juncture of Massachusetts Avenue with Rock Creek forms a significant boundary within the city.