The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Tibetan Buddhist shrine in the bushlands just North of Bendigo is undergoing a push of architectural development in preparation for the installation of the giant Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, which has been touring the world for several years. The consecration of the Jade Buddha will be a major celebration for the community. Over the next few months we will see a transformation of a cathedral-sized space from bare steel girders to something more highly ornamented. I have been photographing the development of the Stupa from the ground up over the years, and interviewed its founder for the website ExploringLiturgy.org. The dramatic conceptual reach of the project and its long time-scale go way beyond a human lifetime. Some say the shrine is built to last over a thousand years. To walk within and around the Stupa is an experience of half-built potential; raw industrial materials combined with the richness of the dry natural landscape and an increasingly visible overlay of Buddhist iconography. The founder compares the construction timeline to that of Gaudí's cathedral. This presentation will document the next few months of the Great Stupa’s transformation, with reflections on the poetics of the spaces and worship activities as they evolve.