New Temple Complex

Project Info

With a celebration of natural materiality embedded in local history, the New Temple Complex is a forward-looking building characterised by peaceful simplicity.

Commissioned by The White Eagle Lodge, a multi-faith spiritual organisation, this new building seeks to welcome visitors from all faiths and all corners of the world. It comprises a temple, library, chapels, community hall, public foyer and kitchen, set within newly landscaped grounds.

A series of orthogonal timber-framed pavilions, connected by a cloistered walkway and facing onto a central courtyard garden, have been designed with passive principles and long-term sustainability in mind.

An ancient pathway runs beside the site, passing clay beds and chalk streams, following a Tudor route used to transport timber from ancient forests to the shipbuilding city of Portsmouth. Adopting a fabric-first approach, the building makes use of each of these materials: entirely timber framed, with facing clay brickwork set within chalk lime mortar, and lined in UK-grown ash and birch ply. The resulting spaces encourage contemplation and a connection to the landscape.