LIGHT IN THE DESERT
d+a|Issue 114
Dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shiva, this sandstone temple in Rajasthan, India is traditional yet contemporary at the same time.
SASHA GONZALES
LIGHT IN THE DESERT
The brief was an interesting one – to design a Hindu temple within the premises of a power plant located in the village of Bhadresh, in the desert state of Rajasthan, India.

The temple would serve the large community of employees and villagers, and, because of towering industrial structures surrounding the site, the client requested that the temple be given a design that was contemporary, yet still complementary of the humble rural landscape.

Three years later, the Temple in Stone and Light was realised.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of paradoxes, the building combines the heavy materiality of stone with the lightness of form.

The solid-looking exterior seems to dissolve after dusk, and, with the help of discreetly placed LED lighting that comes on at night, transforms into a glittering lantern in the dunes.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF STONE

Traditionally, Indian temples are associated with stone – a testament to the material’s beauty, strength and timelessness.

But that is not the only reason why lead architect Amritha Ballal chose it for this project.

“Rajasthan is also famous for its quality stone and stone craftsmanship. We selected locally-available, yellow Jaisalmer sandstone as the primary building material because we wanted the effect of the temple rising out from the sand dunes,” she explains.

But building with the material is a dying skill, since contemporary architecture incorporates stone mainly as a finishing material.

To get around this, Ballal and her team decided to exploit the structural and masonry properties of stone.

Denne historien er fra Issue 114-utgaven av d+a.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 114-utgaven av d+a.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA D+ASe alt
Nature Guiding Nurture
d+a

Nature Guiding Nurture

A luxury resort obtains inspiration from ecological protection and local motifs

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133
Reimagining Singapore's Future: From Nation Building To National Reuse
d+a

Reimagining Singapore's Future: From Nation Building To National Reuse

Two decades ago, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong painted a vivid architectural picture of Singapore as a nation perpetually under construction (Lee, 2003).

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 133
Range Rover Velar Unveiled
d+a

Range Rover Velar Unveiled

Innovative technology has been put to excellent use in updating the design of the Range Rover Velar

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133
Clean, Green, And Connected
d+a

Clean, Green, And Connected

Skyblox Co-Living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is leading the way to sustainable and uplifting urban housing

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 133
Custom Production Boosts This Manufacturer's Position
d+a

Custom Production Boosts This Manufacturer's Position

Danovel's expertise in custom services is buoyed by advanced technology and trends awareness

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133
Three Strategies To See If AI Creativity Is Limited Or Limitless
d+a

Three Strategies To See If AI Creativity Is Limited Or Limitless

The two columns have exactly same sentences but with completely different meanings when read in reverse. We all see exactly the same AI, but each of us can come to completely different conclusions whether AI creativity is limited or limitless.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133
focus on quality and innovation
d+a

focus on quality and innovation

Despite proven capability in supplying furniture to large-scale projects, Design Studio Vito Selma requires no minimum order

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 133
filling in the gaps
d+a

filling in the gaps

Leading manufacturers introduce highly innovative solutions in response to the evolving uses of the kitchen

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133
where beauty, meaning and function meet
d+a

where beauty, meaning and function meet

Great design should be able to enrich people's experience of their surroundings

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 133
unpacking titoudao
d+a

unpacking titoudao

Goh Boon Teck directs and designs his multiple-award-winning play with copious amount of research and experimentation

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 133