Multi-Faith Spaces
The University of Calgary's multi-faith spaces are managed by the Faith & Spirituality Centre and are available for students, staff, and faculty on a drop-in basis for quiet reflection, meditation, prayer, or smudging.
Spaces can also be booked for one-time or re-occurring events. Events that may be booked in our spaces are to support spiritual wellness and religious observance.
We require a minimum of one week to process your booking request.
Read the regulations for multi-faith space booking here
Waiting for your booking to be approved? Complete the online orientation here
Booking requests for next year (September 2023 - August 2024) are now open!
Vitruvian Space
Vitruvian Man is perhaps Leonardo da Vinci's most famous illustration. In this work, Leonardo used both image and text to express the ideas and theories of Vitruvius, a first-century Roman architect and author. Vitruvius believed that an architect should focus on three central themes when preparing a design for a building: firmitas (strength), utilitas (functionality), and venustas (beauty). These Vitruvian ideas, presented by Leonardo, formed the basis of Renaissance proportion theories in art and architecture.
Vitruvian Man is Leonardo da Vinci's own reflection on human proportion and architecture, made clear through words and images. The purpose of the illustration is to bring together ideas about art, architecture, human anatomy and symmetry in one distinct and commanding image. By combing text and illustration, da Vinci evokes a meaning which could not be created through words or image alone.
This space is used for spiritual health and wellness to acknowledge and support a pluralistic and inclusive campus. The space is called the Vitruvian Space – a coming together of strength, functionality and beauty – a space where meaning is created beyond words and images alone.[1]
Vitruvian Space opened on campus in January 2016 and boasts over 4,000 sq. ft. of space for the campus community and is located in the basement of the Dining Centre (DC 12), next to the Unicard office.
The Firmitas A room has a capacity of 50, or 30 with tables and chairs. Connected to Firmitas A via a divider, Firmitas B has a capacity of 173 people, or 80 with tables and chairs. The Venustas room is down the hall and has a capacity of 50 people, or 30 with chairs.
[1] From: http://www.bl.uk/learning/cult/bodies/vitruvius/proportion.html and http://www.davincilife.com/vitruvianman.html
MacEwan Hall Multi-Faith Rooms
Mac Hall is home to two multi-faith rooms on the east side of the building. In the adjacent washrooms, there are ablution (wudu) stations for use. The space is open during MacEwan Hall building hours and varies throughout the year. Please check with Campus Security for building hours. MH 317a is bookable and has a capacity of 50 people, or 40 with tables and chairs.
Foothills Multi-Faith Room
There is a multi-faith space located at Foothills Campus in the Health Sciences Centre, room 1001. It holds approximately 10 people. Please note that this space is not bookable, and can be used for drop-in only.
Labyrinth
The labyrinth is a pattern that is found in artifacts around the world. It has been found in Scandinavia, Pakistan and Nevada. A labyrinth is not a maze. You cannot get lost in it. It has a single path in to the centre and a single path back out. Recently, the labyrinth has been revived as a multi-faith spiritual practice. It is easy to use: you just walk the path. Simply walking it will help you to meditate.
There is an outdoor labyrinth available for use by the campus community. It is located on the west side of the Dining Centre, facing residence.
