The Global Temple: A Monolithic Dome Worship Center

The Global Temple of Divine Administration is a 12,000-square-foot (1100 m²) campus in Tumacacori, Arizona. It features a beautiful Monolithic Dome performing arts chapel at its heart. The golden, central dome is tilted and built on a unique stemwall, which is 19 feet high (5.5 m) on the east side and 21 feet high (6.5 m) on the west. Frederick Crandall, the architect for the chapel, said that three aspects of the project were unique and had not been done in the same way in any other dome projects in the world.

“The tilt of the Dome, the height of the stemwalls, and the acoustical treatment inside are completely unique,” Crandall said. “It seems to be working very well.”

The group chose a gold fabric from Japan for the Airform manufactured at the Monolithic Dome Research and Industrial Park. The metallic fabric of the 94-foot (28.5 m) diameter dome glistens in the light. Surrounding the central dome are four curved, conventional buildings, 1100 square feet (102 m²) each, that provide space for offices, a library, classrooms, theatre storage, laundry, and a cafeteria.

“Many people cut beauty out for efficiency, but this group is very artistic, and they have done everything possible to enhance the dome’s beauty,” Crandall said.

Ground broke in 2017 for the 6900-square-foot (640 m²) Global Temple sanctuary, and the grand opening occurred in November of 2023. Crandall said he considered this to be among his most challenging and rewarding projects.

“COVID stopped construction for a whole year,” Crandall said. “We had planned for it to take nine months, and it became a four-year project with many additions and changes, and a number of suppliers disappeared. Even though it took a long time to build, it has become a work of art.”

The tilt of the dome not only has an aesthetic effect, but also an acoustical benefit, Crandall said. The interior of the dome has a false skylight that acts as a sound trap. Helmholtz resonators reduce reverberation and intensify acoustics—letting sound in and then trapping 50 percent of it so it won’t bounce back. Reflection, refraction, and absorption affect sound quality, and the group chose to coat the chapel’s interior walls with K13, an acoustical plaster.

“The acoustical plaster absorbs sound, and the tilt of the floor in the opposite direction of the dome, plus the carpeting and seating, makes the sound so good,” Crandall said.

The interior has been furnished with art from many faiths, including representations of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and indigenous faith traditions.

“What is unique about this particular dome structure is that it was integrated into the site without disturbing the surrounding landscape and preserving the natural trees,” Crandall said. “The large picture window in the central dome was specifically pointed to the view of the west mountains.”