Ekouin Nenbutsudo: Tokyo Temple Veiled in Trees by Yutaka Kawahara.

Forming a refuge of tranquility in the heart of Tokyo, local practice Yutaka Kawahara Design Studio has created the magical ‘Ekouin Nenbutsudo Temple’ veiled in trees. This intimate and reflective building enables congregation and prayer, while also providing accommodation and training facilities for region’s buddhist monks. The structure is veiled with bamboo plants, protecting occupants from the pollution and the noise from the adjacent street. The “bamboo forest in the sky” is interspersed with glass crystal screens made of 108 Swarovski pieces, symbolic of a Buddhist rosary. (The number 108 is also a symbol of material temptation in Buddhism.)

Internally, each volume offers different and distinct spatial characteristics, integrating work, prayer and recreation areas. The interior includes a semi-outdoor congregation hall and a tea house, while other flexible zones can be subdivided, ensuring that the spaces are responsive and adaptable. Reaffirming its close relationship with nature, greenery provides a constant backdrop to the interiors, offering fleeting glimpses of the surrounding neighbourhood. Looking back to the bamboo forest from the inside, one could easily forgot about being in the middle of a bustling global city.

[Images courtesy of Yutaka Kawahara Design Studio.]