HONOR AWARD F O R RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE: SACRED LANDSCAPE
Ganen Gomado: Sanctuary of Prayer and Silence in the City
Shoji Oshio + UAArchitects || Tennoji-ku, Osaka, Japan
UAArchitects
In the heart of Osaka, Ganen Gomado creates a sanctuary of prayer and silence through the raw presence of stone. Within the density and speed of the city, large natural stones— split by geological forces rather than human hands— stand upright, forming a sacred landscape that invites stillness.
Designed for the Shingon Buddhist goma fire ritual, the space brings nature into the urban fabric. Beneath a concrete structure, uncut stones rise as independent forms— neither walls nor monuments, but quiet presences. Their weight and irregular rhythm gently calm the body and mind, offering moments of balance to busy city dwellers.
Fire burns at the center as meditation rather than spectacle. Chanting, ritual instruments, and silence resonate against the stone surfaces, creating a soundscape that moves between intensity and calm.
The stone paving and gravel underfoot trace Osaka’ s ancient shoreline, recalling when sea and land once met here. This gesture connects visitors to deeper geological memory, reminding them that the present city exists within a far longer timeline. Ganen Gomado is not an object to observe, but a place to enter, where nature, ritual, and urban life quietly coexist.
JURY COMMENTS: In an overlooked and unprogrammed space beneath rows of midcentury pilotis, the applicants created a sacred Buddhist oasis in the midst of Osaka that nevertheless remains open to the noises, smells, and bustle of life swirling around it. The use of stone for the altar, light stand, dedication wall, and partitions, and the material references to fire and water is particularly resonant.
Desmond Monet Grimball
SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2026 29