Celebrations for the grand opening of the largest Thai Buddhist temple built outside of Thailand, constructed by Consigli Construction and designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, were held on June in Raynham, Mass.
Hundreds of people attended a public ceremony celebrating the opening of the $60 million, 110,000 square-foot, Wat Nawamintararachutis NMR Meditation Center, which included self-guided tours and a luncheon. A private ceremony was also held, which included more than 500 monks, Thai dignitaries, donors, local and state officials and members of the project team.
The new retreat is topped by a 185 foot-high steeple-like chedi of brass that soars above the surrounding rural neighborhood. Consigli’s team of skilled craftsmen self-performed the installation of miles of cherry wood, marble, brass and gold in the interiors. Much of the finishes and artifacts were made in Thailand, including seven gold-clad bronze Buddhas. Hundreds of fiberglass lotus medallions covered in gold-leaf and tiny triangular mirrors adorn the temple ceilings. And, a three-story grand staircase features hand-crafted bronze stair railings.
“There are very few contractors I can imagine doing this project other than Consigli. It requires that special touch. The biggest thing was the need for flexibility and sensitivity in handling a lot of unusual finishes and thinking outside the usual parameters to adapt to this unique project. We have an excellent team from Consigli, and I couldn’t be happier,” said the Temple’s Project Director, Paul Chapple.
The complex holds a museum, meditation space, residence halls for monks, kitchens and a multi-purpose hall that accommodates up to 700, which surrounds the actual temple. The multi-purpose hall, where the grand opening was held, will be used for major Buddhist celebrations during the year. The local community will be able to use the hall for meetings and lectures dedicated to the cultural traditions of Thailand.
The Wat Nawamintararachutis NMR Meditation Center is dedicated to the life of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, the King of Thailand, who was born at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts in December 1927, while his parents were students at Harvard Medical School and Simmons College.
Related Stories
| Feb 12, 2014
First Look: Futuristic Silicon Valley campus designed to draw tech startups
The curved campus will consist of four different buildings, one exclusively for amenities like a coffee bar, bike shop, and bank.
| Feb 12, 2014
IIT's College of Architecture launches the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize
Awarded biennially with a $50,000 prize, the program will recognize the most distinguished architectural works built on the North and South American continents in the preceding two years.
| Feb 11, 2014
Adobe Photoshop update features new 3D printing capabilities
Available as part of an update to Photoshop Creative Cloud, the tool enables users to easily and reliably build, refine, preview, prepare, and print 3D designs.
| Feb 10, 2014
Proposed parking garage will sandwich vehicles between housing and retail space
Architecture firm Brisac Gonzalez says that the design "will introduce different activities after parking hours."
| Feb 10, 2014
Architecture Design Collaborative announces firm opening in Southern California
Today, Architecture Design Collaborative officially announces the launch of its firm providing a full range of architecture and interior design services nationwide. Architecture Design Collaborative offers architectural design services, comprehensive interior design services, developer collaboration, direct tenant improvement, repositioning and site planning.
| Feb 10, 2014
Ball State to host Geothermal Conference on design, drilling and equipment - April 10, 2014
To best serve the industry, Ball State University has organized a single day conference in which participants will be able to exchange technical notes, develop understandings and share experiences with design, drilling, and equipment issues related to geothermal ground source heat pump technology.
| Feb 7, 2014
DOE, Autodesk team to overhaul the EnergyPlus simulation program
The update will allow a larger ecosystem of developers to contribute updates to the code in order to improve performance and decrease the time required to run energy model simulations.
| Feb 7, 2014
Meet the new Fellows: AIA elevates 143 to College of Fellows
The AIA College of Fellows is an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the architectural profession.
| Feb 7, 2014
Bernards announces executive leadership realignment
Changes reflect long-term growth plans as builder enters its fifth decade.
| Feb 7, 2014
Zaha Hadid's 'white crystal' petroleum research center taking shape in the desert [slideshow]
Like a crystalline form still in the state of expansion, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center will rise from the desert in dramatic fashion, with a network of bright-white, six-sided cells combining to form an angular, shell-like façade.