Sama — Ajani Charles

Sama 001, Executive Producer: Ajani Chares, Art Director: Ajani Charles, Designer: Ajani Charles, Created Using MidJourney

Sama is a Sanskrit word that describes the quality of calmness and tranquillity of the mind, which is highly valued in the Vedas and yogic philosophy. It is an experience of inner peace and equanimity, as described by ancient yogis. To experience sama, the mind must be under control.

The architectural design series herein is based on the need for inclusive public spaces that promote sama through meditation, especially in North America, Europe, many parts of Asia, and elsewhere, wherein the pace of life is not conducive to the cultivation of mental health.

Sama is a series of meditative structures.

Most people do not meditate in the first place and consequently have an aversion to meditation in public, so the Sama series was developed to remedy this.

Moreover, given the widespread pain and destruction perpetuated by the global mental health epidemic, the more spaces promoting meditation and its scientifically-validated benefits to the general public in major cities and elsewhere, the healthier and more peaceful humanity will be in the long term.

After conceptualizing Sama, Ajani Charles had the series generated through MidJourney; the structures are based on the conch shells used by Krsna and Arjuna, the protagonists in Ajani’s favourite book, The Bhagavad Gita, which is an essential aspect of the Vedas.

The Vedas are a large body of ancient religious texts developed in Vedic India. They are the oldest religious texts known to humanity; they have influenced most other religious texts and many aspects of pop culture and are written in Vedic Sanskrit.

The Sama series is also inspired by Zaha Hadid, one of Ajani’s favourite visual artists, architects, and designers.

Hadid was the first woman to receive the coveted Pritzker Architecture Prize and was known for her innovative and fluid designs, often characterized by sweeping curves and bold, futuristic forms.

Many of Hadid’s works are based on forms in the natural world, and she believed in a holistic approach to design that encompassed the physical condition of a building or structure, its surrounding context, the needs of its users, and its impact on the environment.

The first Sama meditative structure will be installed in a major city before the first quarter of 2025.