EDITOR ’ S CHOICE
Photo : Derek Corr
A NORDIC ROYAL BEACON
IRELAND ’ S FIRST TIBETAN BUDDHIST TEMPLE TAKES A STEP TOWARDS COMPLETION WITH INSTALLATION OF DISTINCTIVE TIERED ROOFS CLAD IN NORDIC ROYAL – AN INNOVATIVE GOLDEN COPPER ALLOY FROM AURUBIS
At the heart of the Dzogchen Beara Buddhist Meditation Centre on the Beara Peninsula overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in West Cork , the new building was designed in the style of a traditional Tibetan temple acting as an inspiring symbol of the Buddha ’ s teachings . But unlike the traditional form it also includes large windows to provide extensive views of Bantry Bay .
HIGHLY VISIBLE NORDIC ROYAL ROOFS
The temple is built over three floors , each defined by a Nordic Royal clad roof with a curved-profile and deep overhanging eaves . Dragon heads and other sacred ornaments with deep spiritual meaning , hand-crafted from copper in northern India then gilded with gold leaf by members of the Dzogchen Beara community , adorn projecting corners and the top roof ridge . The project ’ s architect Giles Oliver , who passed away three years ago , envisaged the building as : ‘ a beacon of wisdom and compassion ’ and the stunning new copper roofs will be seen for miles along the coastline and from boats at sea .
With its exceptional longevity and durability proven in the most extreme environments , copper was the natural choice for the temple roofs . A natural element within the earth ’ s crust , copper has been incorporated into living organisms throughout the evolutionary process and is essential for all life . Its ability to be recycled repeatedly , without any loss in performance , is an important benefit : 100 % of architectural copper products are manufactured from recycled raw material .
MARINE ENVIRONMENT TRIALS
There are numerous copper surfaces and alloys to choose from today . Leon Rossiter , one of the Directors and heading up the Temple project , explained : ‘ Giles Oliver , the Temple Architect , sent a sample of the Nordic Royal asking me to look into it . We trialled different styles of copper by placing samples out on the cliff behind the temple , to face our harsh marine environment . For 18 months , the Nordic Royal sat there alongside classic copper , with and without a lacquer on it , and we tried gilding the copper as well .
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