UC San Diego Meditation Pavilion

The Meditation Pavilion is a contemplative gathering space set within UC San Diego’s Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood. Surrounded by student housing and positioned along a coastal bluff, the open-air structure offers a quiet retreat overlooking the Pacific Ocean, supporting reflection, rest, and informal connection within a vibrant living and learning environment.

Planned as part of a mixed-use student housing development centered on student well-being, community, and environmental stewardship, the pavilion provides a place for both solitary pause and shared moments of calm. The elevated platform is accessed by two gently sloping ramps and hovers above a rock garden, forming a continuous perimeter bench that invites students to sit, observe, and gather. Fully open to the elements, the pavilion maintains a direct relationship to the surrounding landscape, offering a restorative counterpoint to the pace of campus life.

A serpentine wooden wall introduces layered seating and moments of privacy, with carefully framed views through vertical openings. Three circular oculi open the structure to the sky, drawing attention to sculptural rock formations below. At night, warm ambient lighting transforms the pavilion into a subtle beacon, reinforcing its role as an adaptable space that supports reflection, connection, and everyday ritual.

Take a closer look with the a 3D walkthrough here. 

UC San Diego Theatre District was designed as a collaboration between Kitchell, HKS Architects, EYRC Architects, and SWA Group.