Tour Spiritual Enclosure: a minimalist ceremony space by Ruben Valdez

minimalist spiritual enclosure in nature, a new non-religious ceremony space

(Image credit: Cesar Bejar)

published 17 February 2025

A new minimalist, non-religious ceremony building, Spiritual Enclosure by architect Ruben Valdez, offers flexible space to foster serenity, contemplation and a connection with the dramatic landscape of the Baja California Desert. The structure, which makes its presence known only by a low, pink-hued wall that encircles its simple interior, is part of the region's popular Paradero Hotel - the dramatic resort known for its monolithic, sculptural volumes and arid nature references.

minimalist spiritual enclosure structure in pink hue concrete among desert green nature

Be inspired by this minimalist, non-religious ceremony space

This spiritual space is similarly impactful – calm and quiet, yet powerful in its pared down design. The building, made of concrete, is formed by a simple circular wall. Within it, a series of benches provide seating to host a number of events and ceremonies - this is meant as an inclusive pavilion that can be adapted to any faith or requirement.

Valdez, the founder of Lausanne based studio Practice for Architecture, writes on his design: 'The shape of the structure carefully frames the surrounding landscape, with a semi-circular aperture providing views out onto the mountains beyond, while the skies above are framed within the circular walls. The structure is oriented along an east-west axis, allowing the movement of the sun to reflect both the passage of time and the ever-changing light of the desert.'

Purposefully open to the elements, Spiritual Enclosure has no roof and a bare earth floor. The goal? To connect users to the surrounding nature and place. Inside, a single black polished obsidian mirror is a subtle highlight - 'modelled after the traditional texcatl mirrors used for centuries in Mexican culture as objects of reflection and spiritual divination,' the architect writes.

A single entranceway, offset by 45 degrees from the interior axis, leads visitors inside the structure's heart. The angles and spatial procession mean the space is only gradually revealed, adding to the drama of this enclosure's experience.

rubenvaldez.com

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).