SPHERE
#41
2016
16
BEYOND ZEN
The buildings, occupying only about
10 per cent of the site coverage, exhibit
a traditional visual ambience while using
contemporary structures and colours.
The rare and southern-climate-adaptive
padauk wood covers the steel structure
that supports the building. Apart from
ensuring durability, using less wood
aligns with an ethos of environmental
stewardship. In design, the Tsz Shan
Monastery has taken on a more modern
aspect by using contemporary and
subdued colours, mainly greys and browns.
This stands in contrast to more colourful
historical monasteries.
Other subtle touches of modernity are
hidden within the traditional facade.
The original plans did not include air
conditioning, but it was later deemed
important for elderly visitors who might
is from Africa. The tiles for the roofs are
from Japan. The floor for the main hall is
made of dark Brazilian Verde Pavao granite,
while Wavy White granite from China was
chosen for the flooring outside the main
hall to match the gentle waters of Plover
Cove below. The Buddha statues have a
shinier gold powder for the skin to give a
lively contrast to the matte gold foil used
for the clothes of the bodies.
The monastery reposes in harmony with
the surrounding greenery, characterised
by its majestic and elegant Tang dynasty-
style design that reflects the golden era
of Buddhism, a time of relative religious
and political openness. The architectural
features have a solid grounding in historical
precedence, referencing the architects’
extensive studies of monasteries in China
and Japan built during the period.
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