‘Sacralising’ Sacred Space in Public Institutions: A Case Study of the Prayer Space at the Millennium Dome

Abstract

Many public institutions in British society provide facilities for worship and contemplation. Historically, chapels were at the heart of many gaols and hospitals, but in recent times, other kinds of institution, such as airports, shopping centres, and more recently, the Millennium Dome, have provided a ‘Prayer Space’, ‘Place of Worship’, ‘Quiet Room’ or ‘Multi-Faith Room’. This article looks at the diverse range of physical activities that take place in such facilities and the various meanings that they appear to have for their users, using the Prayer Space at the Millennium Dome as an example. I suggest that these spaces in many ways reflect a society that is moving away from formal, dogmatic, institutional ‘religion’ towards increasingly self-mediated, informal ‘spirituality’ and that, as a result, sacred space in public institutions becomes ‘sacralised’ in ways that are distinctive, compared to conventional places of worship.