just play with the scale a little bit.

first question: what is an abstract form if not basic? isn't a glass cylinder potentially both abstract and basic?

so, ignoring the fact that this is a lazy question...

whether or not your design carries the image of a famous (name-your-)prophet, orhan's obviously right on the money with the circular form. all through history the circle (or sphere, even) has been used to symbolize unity, continuity, protection, conversation, harmony, infinity, etc.

if this is a project that can handle more research than a vague fishing post on archinect, check out the history of debates about church form (basilical vs centralized) that came to a head during the renaissance.

also check out the histories of symbols/symbolism. there are whole books on this stuff.

books?
whoa now steven...take it easy!

i'd like to visit a religious structure based upon the moebius strip (as long as there was a way out)

it that idea even possible, these people(each sectarian grouping) are skill killing each other on all fronts since their inceptions, and what about the growing non-religious as more and more religion myth is debunked? would you exclude them

the harmony part is easily dealt with with interlocking and penetrating structure, but how to include the religion-element without using explicit forms??

the circle is a useful device...

in addition to the circle/sphere, there is also something impt about the singularity of the form in orhan's proposal.

i didn't think about it until reading joy's comment and seeing the spaghetti monster, but as soon as there is more than one primary form, there is opportunity for division among those occupying the form: as simple as the northers and the southers, or the big-circlers and the little-circlers.

unity/harmony requires, ironically, that those you would put in the same 10m space together actually have to deal with each other without finding an easy way to separate themselves or make a distinction based on the space.