Seven modern temples: projects in India, China, Japan, Great Britain and Chile

Religious architecture often exemplifies the amazing combination of tradition and innovation and shows beauty in the diversity of practices and approaches. These seven temples remain a place for reflection, contemplation, and prayer and demonstrate how openness to new things becomes not an obstacle, but an advantage, a point of exploration

Hindu temple designed by Sameep Padora & Associates in India

Sameep Padora & Associates has presented a modern interpretation of a Hindu temple in the city of Nandyal in India. The stepped structure, made from local black limestone, is a variation on tradition rather than something radically new, according to architect Sameep Padora. The main task of the bureau was to create a holistic and harmonious project, connected with the surrounding natural landscape, from available resources. The temple is surrounded by a pond – an integral part of Hindu religious complexes.

Concrete temple in Tokyo designed by Toru Kashihara Architects

The temple in northeast Tokyo combines many functions at once. In the project by Toru Kashihara Architects, spaces traditionally located in separate buildings were brought together in one complex structure. The facade is divided into three horizontal volumes made of concrete and glass. On the ground floor, there is a reception center and event space, and above that there is a religious ceremony space with an altar. The upper floor was occupied by living rooms for the priest of the temple.

Church with a perforated facade designed by Wutopia Lab

“What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it,” Wutopia Lab architects quote Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In June 2023, after eight years of work, the Church of Jesus, built according to the studio’s design, received its first parishioners in China. Over the years of construction, details may have changed, but the essence of the project remained the same: the architects were captivated by the idea of ​​transparency and the play of light, embodying a modern understanding of discreet beauty.

Two buildings appeared on the territory of the temple, which perform different functions. The main hall reaches 16.7 meters in height, and service rooms are located on the western and northern sides. The smaller building houses the refectory. The territory of the complex is surrounded by a translucent perforated fence. “Together with the visual boundary of the “curtains,” the buildings form a complete, holistic architectural statement,” said the architects.

Non-denominational temple in Hampshire designed by James Gorst Architects

Air-filled pavilions, natural wood, and stone, regular lines, light pouring through the windows – this is how the project of the British studio James Gorst Architects in Hampshire turned out. The temple, located within the South Downs National Park in southern England, is designed for quiet contemplation and observation of nature.

The customer of the project is the non-denominational religious organization, White Eagle Lodge. The project had to reflect the concepts of “peace and simplicity”, as well as adhere to the principles of sustainable architecture. The temple grounds include a rotunda hall for prayer, a library, chapels, and meeting rooms located in the courtyard.

Temple in India by Saket Sethi Design

Indian architect Saket Sethi has designed a house on the outskirts of Mumbai with a rooftop garden and a private temple reminiscent of the starry night sky. The egg-shaped temple is set in a garden overlooking rice fields that stretch into the distance. The homeowner dreamed of a space where she could practice gratitude more often, meditate, and allow other people to come and do the same. The interior space of the temple is twisted in a spiral and made in a calmer color scheme, setting up for meditative reflection, and the mosaic pattern on the outside reflects the main idea of ​​​​the practice of gratitude to the Universe.

Monastery in the Jingshan Mountains designed by Atelier Deshaus

The temple complex, designed by Shanghai architects Atelier Deshaus, barely touches the ground – its slender design establishes a connection between the new building and the ancient Great Wall of China.

Built in a valley near Beijing, the temple complex consists of several rooms located on stepped platforms against the backdrop of a mountain slope. Visitors enter through an open courtyard. One of the parts of the complex was occupied by a Buddhist temple, in the other there was a meditation room, a reading room, and a hall for writing exercises. The gardens on the upper platforms were created by Shunmyō Masuno, a landscape architect and monk. The five stones of different shapes in the temple courtyard symbolize the five skandhas that shape a person’s personality in Buddhist culture.

Baha’i Temple in Chile, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects

“Situated in undulating terrain, surrounded by a pond and a landscape of native grasses, this complex, curved temple of light invites spiritual contemplation,” says Hariri Pontarini Architects.

The project, near Santiago, at the foot of the Andes, which the office has been working on for fourteen years, is the last of eight temples commissioned by the Baha’i religious community. Each of the buildings is intended to embody “technological innovation and architectural excellence” and be recognizable as a place of worship without reference to specific religious iconography. “The Baha’i Faith is based on the principle of universality; Therefore, our task was to create a concept that would be open and understandable to people of all religions and cultures,” explains the authors of the project.

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