Tadao Ando - Water Temple
Designed by Tadao Ando, the Water Temple begins when one approaches the tempering, among the bushes and trees and see the polished surface of cement barriers that protect the lake and a long trail of white gravel, which initiated the procession purification before entering the sacred place
Surrounded by verdant hills on Awaji Island , overlooking Osaka Bay, the Honpukuji main temple building contains a unique labyrinth structure that enshrines a statue of Amida Buddha. To enter is to take a journey into a spiritual realm. More than just a building, the Water Temple is a sensorial experience like no other, in a place of incomparable natural beauty.
Kengo Kuma - Zuisho-Ji Temple
Zuisho-Ji Temple (Minato-ku, Tokyo) is the first temple in Tokyo of the Obaku Sect, one of the Zen Buddhist schools brought to Japan by the Priest Ingen during the Edo Period. In this project, we rebuilt the priests’ quarters within the temple.
Designated as jūyō bunkazai or Tangible Cultural Property, close attention was paid to the axis extending from the temple’s repository. We developed a design to reflect the arrangement of Chinese temples, which highlight orientation and depth.
We placed a U-shaped cloister on the south side of the axis so that the temple could be more accessible to the community. At the center of the courtyard is a water pool with a raised stage to encourage people to hold events and performances for the community.
Curtesy of © Masaki Hamada
Benedetta Tagliabue - San Giacomo Apostolo' Church and Parish Complex in Ferraroa
Benedetta Tagliabue studied architecture at the Istituto di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) and currently acts as director of the international architecture firm Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, founded in 1994 in collaboration with Enric Miralles, based in Barcelona and, Shanghai and Paris.
Among her most notable projects built are the Edinburgh Parliament, Diagonal Mar Park, the Santa Caterina market in Barcelona, Campus Universitario de Vigo, and the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo which was awarded the prestigious RIBA International “Best International Building of 2011” award.
Current studio projects include the Business School of Fudan University in Shanghai, office towers in Xiamen and Taichung, public spaces of HafenCity in Hamburg Germany, and the metro station Clichy-Montfermeil in Paris, France (1st prize in competition), the Naples Underground Central Station in Italy, among others. (READ MORE)