Social

As we descend it’s as if we are going down into the roots of the building. There seems to be a central congregating space.  The woven space that I first encountered seems to emanate from this lower area. It seems that there is a sense of integration between the different parts of this building. It all seems woven together in its design and feeling.

There is a group of 10 or 12 people or so, and they appear to be listening intently to someone recounting a story. I notice that the ramp itself has spiralled around to form the continuous geometry of this stepped amphitheater. Slopes and ramps, forming a continuous path to the center. A kind of mesmerising form that draws you in to its center.  I sit and listen for a bit. Someone begins to play some music and the others begin to feel moved by it.

After a few moments I get up and want to explore more. My bare feet begin to pick up the sense that the woven patterns are being transmitted through the concrete floor which has this continued woven geometry embedded in it, reflecting the woven dome. The concrete, although industrial in origin, feels warm and tactile. Perhaps it was tinted with local sands and dyes which give it its warmth.  In places there are narrow channels sunk into the stepped forms which are vivid yellow in color. Everything seems to have emerged from the surroundings as if it grew out of the hillside like a kind of immersive succulent.

Inductive 

I move into this internal space, a space within a space, a kind of double protection, and yet open to the elements and inviting. There is a circular raised plinth which feels so inviting. An organically formed channel, or scar, or chasm around its base is vivid blue in color.

I lie down and look upwards at the myriad abstract patterns formed by the double layer of woven structure. The mist from the nearby ocean is caught in the shafts of light and creates an ethereal architectural structure of light.

I close my eyes and let deep internal feelings emerge and just take a deep breath as I feel myself slowing down. I am dialing down my senses and yet becoming more aware of myself, my surroundings.

After a while, someone approaches and invites me to explore further. I leave through the same woven passageway, but this time feeling more at home than just a few moments before. Perhaps I am losing my sense of time and that creates a feeling of release.

Sensory

I move into an alcove space towards the periphery of the inner spiral of the lower space. Somewhat cavelike, there are perforations in the woven-embossed concrete canopy. The outdoor aspect of the space, even though sheltered from above with the sweep of the concrete roofing, allows the mist and motes to dance in the sunlight, formed by shafts of light that I presume move slowly through the space. Perhaps at particular times of year, such as solstice or equinox, the pattern converges on a particular place.  Which makes me feel that the creators of this space had a sense of a wider more universal world that moves through this time and place.

Environmental

I follow this person back out and we begin to walk down another spiraling pathway, which is bordered by undulating arcs planted with succulents. The person encourages me to take my shoes off and I feel the soles of my feet engage with grass and smooth concrete woven into a geometric pattern. The concrete has narrow recessed lines in it that are vivid green in color. I notice the lavender that flanks the pathway and my senses open up to a relaxed feeling. Memories of my grandmom's garden come to me. We walk again to the left,the non-dominant side, the direction of intuition. My guide encourages me to ‘choose my sensory diet.’

Even though we are going downwards, it seems in a contradictory way that the space is actually opening up.The space is perfectly nestled into the slope of the land and the curved lines of the space give a flowing feeling to my visual sense of touch and place.