Sustainable building in the form of a bamboo mandala

Designed by the Nepalese architecture firm Abari in collaboration with the Tibetan Buddhist master Chogyal Rinpoche, a mandala-shaped bamboo structure surrounds the 15-meter-high Mahamudra Meditation Center.

This architectural feature pays homage to the stupa, a sacred Buddhist structure, while incorporating modern elements such as compacted earth walls, terracotta tiles, and handmade copper panels.

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Photo by Chemi Dorje Lama

Bamboo supports rise from 12 rammed-earth piers to form a mandala symbolising unity and the universe. Inside, latticed screens filter the sunlight, casting meditative patterns across the sunken wooden floor. 

"The stupa-like silhouette, reinterpreted through contemporary materials, anchors the building in Buddhist tradition while signalling renewal," said Abari director Nripal Adhikary.

Photo by Chemi Dorje Lama

Sustainable building practices

Beyond the main hall, the centre comprises a guest house and a dining hall with bamboo frameworks filled with earth and finished with a lime plaster. 

The dining room, with its undulating bamboo arches and geometric windows, offers panoramic views and a sense of spaciousness that reflects the meditative spirit of the place.

Founded in 2006, Abari has long championed vernacular and sustainable building practices. The Mahamudra Meditation Centre embodies this commitment, demonstrating that architecture can be spiritually resonant and ecologically responsible.

Source: Dezeen

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