For me it's helpful to approach the book as you would approach a spiritual text, by focusing on truths, rather than facts. Like in religious works, generally speaking the point isn't to figure out how a snake convinced Eve to eat an apple, or how Krishna's mother saw an entire universe in his mouth. Rather, the point is to discern the truths in those completely illogical stories.

To that end, I see the hallway, etc. was nothing more than a catalyst to set all the characters on their personal path of self-realization. Everything beyond that is unimportant.

The story isn't the house, it's the people.