The architecture of 3 campus multifaith spaces
Adapted from Interfaith Youth Core
Embracing religious diversity on campus means accommodating the spiritual needs of students not only through staffing and programming, but also through architectural spaces that accommodate a variety of religious, spiritual, and ethical practices. Multifaith spaces are a visible symbol of an institution’s commitment to welcoming religious diversity, and whether large or small can provide support to diverse students. Here is a list of multifaith spaces on various campuses across America.
Union College, Schenectady, NY
After the former president of Union College, Stephen Ainley, encountered Muslim students praying in the stairwells of a campus building, he felt a need for a space on campus that would accommodate the practices of religiously diverse students.
Ainley convened a committee to oversee the establishment of this space. A representative of each student religious and secular group, along with various staff members and chaplains at Union, sat on this committee to make decisions about the space. Because so many different parts of the campus were involved, it was essential to set a safe space where organizers listened to one another with respect.
They worked together to interview religious and secular student groups to discover their needs and to make sure they were built into the room. In 2008, President Ainley opened and dedicated the space, saying it was the responsibility of everyone at Union to make sure everyone felt included. Now, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is tasked with the general upkeep of the space.
The multifaith space at Union College is purposefully simple. It is a former conference room turned sacred space. Because the room is meant to be a neutral space, it looks clean and uncluttered. The walls are a calm shade of blue; there are live plants in the room and a small water fountain. The furniture includes an armoire to house various items including books, prayer rugs, icons, meditation bells, and other items students might use for their practices.
Other furniture includes a low table for students in case they need it for meditation, a carpet that rolls up in case students prefer not to take their shoes off when entering, and a large table for students to gather around for group prayer. Most recently, two wash stations were added in the room for students who need to perform a ritual cleansing prior to their religious practice.
Now the campus boasts a Religious Diversity House that helps bring together students for open discussion and dialogue. It creates campus-wide programs around religious holidays, lectures on various faith traditions and other opportunities to raise awareness of different traditions and faiths.
- Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA
Elizabethown College is a Church of the Brethren heritage school, and many of their values connect to fostering multifaith cooperation, such as cultivating peace, nonviolence, valuing human dignity, and social justice. In order to encourage a strong culture of religious pluralism on campus, the administration at Elizabethtown College created a shared multifaith space for students of different religious backgrounds.
Elizabethtown wanted the room to be consistently available so groups would not need to reserve a room each time they needed space. Because the multifaith room is a part of the Office of Religious Life, they were able to secure a space in one of the most visible parts of campus.
The design for the room is quite simple. It is a former conference room, with one wall covered with a curtain so different religious traditions can hang symbols depending on their faith or spiritual practice. There are Tibetan chimes for those who want to meditate, pillows for people to sit on the floor, a kneeling bench for prayer off to the side of the room, and space for a resource library. Additional seats are in storage for when they are needed. Information on a variety of religious practices on campus is provided in the room.
- Elon University, Elon, NC
Elon University was founded by the United Church of Christ, but is no longer officially affiliated with any tradition. It has a vibrant community of Christian students and a quickly growing Jewish student population. Having a unified space for students to come together to celebrate religious diversity became a priority for the campus, especially after 9/11.
A decade-long vision of the university chaplain emeritus, coupled with the dedication of President Emeritus Prof. Leo Lambert and generous benefactors, allowed the funding to create a new space for multifaith dialogue, religious observance, and encounter with religious diversity. In addition, stakeholders envisioned a center within the space for the academic exploration of religion, culture, and society. Now, the space, the Numen Lumen Pavilion Multi-faith Center, is a vanguard example of multifaith space at universities around the country.
The Numen Lumen Pavilion is a two-story, centrally-located building on campus. The first floor houses the chaplains’ offices, a large meeting space, a sacred space blessed by members of the campus and surrounding community of different faiths, and a kosher kitchen. The sacred space is a circular room with large windows and a dome ceiling. It has a very simple design focused on natural light. There is no furniture, but if necessary, movable furniture can be brought into the room. There is a Zen garden outside of the first floor near the entrance. The second floor houses offices for affiliated Religious Life staff, two classrooms, a library, and two prayer rooms for student groups. All the bathrooms have washing stations. The space uses water and natural light for decoration, as well as several displays with artifacts and artwork.
In addition to these examples, many other institutions have multifaith spaces on campus, including the University of North Florida, Wellesley College, Penn State, and many others. As you think about the kind of multifaith space you want to create on your campus, consider doing your own research into campuses similar to yours to learn from their work.
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