Tag: temple | ArchDaily

The Ecological Intelligence of Sacred Landscapes

Ananya Nayak — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Architecture often speaks about ecological design as though it were a recent discovery. Biodiversity corridors, regenerative landscapes, sponge cities, and more-than-human urbanism are presented as emerging responses to contemporary environmental crises. Across India and the SWANA region, landscapes shaped through religious practice have long organized relationships between people, water, vegetation, and animals. Long before ecological performance became a design metric, temple tanks stored monsoon water, sacred groves protected biodiversity, and oasis settlements sustained life in some of the world's most arid environments. Few of these places emerged from explicit environmental agendas. They emerged through cultural and spiritual practices. Their environmental logic remains highly relevant today. Many of the conditions now discussed through more-than-human design have existed for centuries within landscapes architects rarely study as ecological infrastructure.

MVRDV Receives Approval for Plum Village Buddhist Monastery Renovations in France

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The Plum Village Buddhist Monastery in southern Dordogne, France, has received construction approval for the first phase of its ongoing collaboration with Dutch architecture studio MVRDV. The approvals cover the Upper Hamlet masterplan phase, including the construction of new guest houses and the renovation and expansion of the monastery's bookshop, as well as a new nunnery building at the Lower Hamlet. Developed in collaboration with co-architect MoonWalkLocal and consultants OTEIS, VPEAS, and Emacoustic, the wider project includes two masterplans for the Monastery's Upper and Lower Hamlets, four communal guest houses, a new nunnery, and the transformation of an existing bookshop. Working on a non-profit basis, the design team prioritises renovation alongside the use of circular and bio-based materials, aligning the architectural approach with the monastery's philosophical principles. The proposed additions aim to better accommodate the annual visitors who travel to Plum Village to engage with the teachings of Engaged Buddhism.

Village in the Vertical City: Tai Hang and the Afterlife of Vernacular Hong Kong

Jonathan Yeung — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Vernacular architecture in Hong Kong originated as a series of small, coastal settlements—simple, village-like communities that reflected the city's early identity as a fishing hub. These seaside villages were typically composed of low-rise, timber-framed houses clustered around temples, forming tight-knit communities closely tied to the rhythms of the water.

Secluded Sanctuaries: Contemporary Religious Architecture Inspired by Modernist Principles Across Asia

Moises Carrasco — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Religious architecture in Asia is evolving by incorporating modernist influences while preserving its spiritual essence. Clean lines, minimalist aesthetics, and materials like concrete, steel, and glass are a common sight. These interventions often replace or complement the intricate ornamentation and natural materials traditionally associated with sacred spaces in the region. This approach allows these structures to achieve a universal appeal while still reflecting their cultural and spiritual foundations.

Computational Design in India: Dialogues between Modern and Vernacular Form

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 07:30:00 +0000

India's global identity has developed alongside its aspirations for a unique architectural future. Over time, the country's architectural landscape has evolved from vernacular traditions to foreign influences, from post-colonial revivals to modern digital expressions. Computational design has played an influential role in shaping contemporary styles, empowering homegrown architectural firms to experiment with form and structure.

Burning Man Reveals the 2024 Temple, Designed with Neo-Gothic and Khaizaran Influences

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The annual festival Burning Man has revealed the design of the 2024 Temple at Black Rock City, which will become the central installation during the festival happening between August 25th and September 2nd, 2024, in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Titled “The Temple of Together,” the proposal is designed by Caroline Ghosn, the first BIPOC, female Temple lead artist. The proposal takes cues from neo-gothic religious architecture, combined with Art Deco styles and Lebanese Khaizaran weaving techniques to create a symbol of unity and respect. The design was selected following an international competition that seeks to find novel interventions that fit within the Burning Man tradition.

Conservation Architecture in India: Living Buildings and Cultures

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:30:00 +0000

The Indian built environment constantly negotiates ancient traditions, diverse population, and globalized ambitions. When it comes to heritage preservation, these forces often converge to create a distinctive approach to conservation efforts in the country. Beyond the conventional models seen in many parts of the world, India's conservation projects intertwine historical practices, community engagement, and a reverence for the living essence of buildings.

SOM Breaks Ground on New American Buddhist Cultural Society Temple in San Francisco

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the new American Buddhist Cultural Society Temple, also known as the San Bao Temple, has broken ground in San Francisco, California. Located on Van Ness Avenue, the new six-story facility will include a community center, a Buddhist shrine, and a meditation room on the upper levels, along with three levels of private dormitories for visiting monastics and volunteers. In the center of the building, a light-filled atrium offers additional amenities, such as a public art gallery, bookstore, teahouse, and community gathering hall. The temple is expected to open by the end of 2024.

A Temple Renovation in Hungary and a Wine Center in China: 14 Unbuilt Cultural Projects Submitted to ArchDaily

Dima Stouhi — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 07:30:00 +0000

The diversity of civic spaces in cities and rural areas have continuously showcased how strongly they explore human connections regardless of program, construction technique, scale, and geography. Ranging from educational facilities and museums, to art centers, libraries, religious halls, and memorials, these projects have enriched urban fabrics with cultural programs that have provided members of the community with places to learn, entertain, create, and unwind.

Sunoo Temple House / Saket Sethi Design

Hana Abdel — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:00:00 +0000

The client's brief was bold and direct “Make it inspirational and spiritual”. In addition to that, they were marked by a recent trip to the Netherlands, where the intensity of nature was striking and lingered on their mind.

The Audrey Irmas Pavilion, OMA New York’s First Cultural Building in California Nears Completion

Christele Harrouk — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 05:30:00 +0000

OMA / Shohei Shigematsu has completed its Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the firm’s first commission from a religious institution and first cultural building in California. Expected to open in January 2022, “the new 55,000 square foot Pavilion is a response to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s vision for its campus to create a much-needed space to convene”.

Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil

Giovana Martino — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

In the hilly landscape of Blumenau, a city located in the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, stands a gem of modern religious architecture by Gottfried Böhm, who recently passed away at the age of 101: the Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo, built from 1953 to 1963.

An Extreme Sports Park in Russia and a Latvian Eco-Tourism Catalyst: 10 Unbuilt Projects Submitted by our Readers

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 06:30:00 +0000

10 projects, 10 functions. Featuring a multitude of different programs, this week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights diverse and innovative conceptual approaches. Submitted by our readers, this variety of proposals includes sports, religious, cultural, educational, and social purposes.

A Post-Pandemic Futuristic Middle School and a Super Green Campus in Shenzhen: 12 Unbuilt Projects Submitted by our Readers

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 07:35:00 +0000

Putting together competition entries from all around the world, this week’s curated feature for Best Unbuilt Architecture showcases inspiring approaches and concepts. Submitted by our readers, the selection highlights uncommon proposals, part of international contests. While some are winning projects, others received honorable mentions.

Baha’i Temple by Hariri Pontarini Wins 2019 RAIC International Prize

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 04:30:00 +0000

The Baha’i Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto was selected as the winner of the 2019 RAIC International Prize, by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).

The World's Oldest Piece of Architecture Tells a New Story About How Civilization Developed

Niall Patrick Walsh — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Located in south-east Turkey, the 11,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe is considered to be the world’s oldest temple, greatly surpassing England’s Stonehenge, and the Egyptian pyramids. The ancient site, awarded Unesco World Heritage status in July 2018, predates pottery, writing, and the wheel, leading archaeologists such as its discoverer Klaus Schmidt to ask if Göbekli Tepe may, in fact, be not only the world’s first piece of architecture but a crucial catalyst for the onset of settled societies.

Contemporary Religious Architecture That Rethinks Traditional Spaces for Worship

Dima Stouhi — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Constructing places of worship has always been an intricate practice, managing to detach the human, and release the boundary between body, mind, and spirit. Holy presence has been crucial in designing and constructing sacred places, which is why almost all religious building possessed similar characteristics: grandiosity, monolithic material, natural elements, and a plan that compliments an individual’s circulation through the space. Contemporary religious structures, however, found a way to adapt to the evolution of architecture. Unlike the Gothic or Baroque periods, modern-day architecture does not have a dominant identity. It is, in fact, a combination of postmodernism, futurism, minimalism, and everything in between. Architects have found a way to transform these exclusive, religion-devoted places into structures of spirituality, manifestation, and fascination.

Images Released for Bahá'í House of Worship in Papua New Guinea

Niall Patrick Walsh — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 16:00:00 +0000

The Bahá'í International Community has unveiled a proposal for the national Bahá'í House of Worship of Papua New Guinea. In the capital city of Port Moresby, a celebration was held at the temple’s future site to showcase the scheme, coinciding with the Bahá'í New Year. Inspired by the art of weaving, the architects’ vision was for a temple where the people of Papa New Guinea could unite to worship and find inspiration.