SNO.

PARAMETERS CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 2 INFERENCES

LOTUS TEMPLE THE EDEN PROJECT

1. NAME

2. LOCATION NEW DELHI ST. BLAZEY, CORNWALL, UK

3. BUILDING TYPOLOGY TEMPLE BIOME

LOTUS FLOWER SOAP BUBBLE HONEY COMB

4. INSPIRATION
+

5. APPROACH OF BIOMIMICRY BIOLOGY INFLUENCING DESIGN DESIGN LOOKING TO BIOLOGY

6. LEVEL OF BIOMIMICRY ORGANISM LEVEL ECO-SYSTEM LEVEL

IT IS ORGANISED AS A NINE-SIDE CIRCULAR SITE CONSISTS OF TWO CLIMATE-CONTROLLED

STRUCTURE THAT IS COMPRISED OF TWENTY SEVEN BIOMES, BUILT UP FROM EIGHT INTERCONNECTED
LEAVES AND SURROUNDED BY NINE POOLS AROUND GEODESIC SPHERES.
THE BUILDING.
Visual axis in site passes
through center point of
TEMPLE JAL TATWA temple

7. SITE PLANNING
SNO. PARAMETERS CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 2 INFERENCES
• The site is sloping down naturally towards north east • Bodelva Pit was chosen, located about 5 km east of St Austel.
direction. • The site has constantly changing topography. The slope is
• The level difference between n-e and s-w is about 10.0 M. towards the central of the pit.
• There are natural contours as well as manmade contours • The pit covers an area of about 22 hectares and varies in
in form of grass slope. depth from 30 to 70 metres.
• The temple is built on highest area of the site.

8. SITE TOPOGRAPHY

N
N

SECTION BB’ SECTION AA’

LVL+242M
LVL+101M
9. SITE SECTION
LVL+229M

LVL+50M

• THE TEMPLE IS BUILT ON HIGHER AREA OF THE SITE AT • THE BIOMES ARE BUILD ORIENTED EAST-WEST DIRECTION AT
10. SITE IMPACT ON BUILDING MAXIMUM LEVEL OF 12-13 M HIGH WHICH MAKES THE THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE PIT.
BUILDING VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE AND HIGHLIGHT WITH • THE PIT’S STEEP SOUTH FACING WALLS PROVIDE SUN AND
SUNLIGHT. SHELTER FOR THE ‘GLOBAL GARDEN’ IN THE BIOME.

• LOTUS FLOWER SYMBOLIZES PURITY AND HOLINESS • GRIMSHAW HIT ON THE IDEA OF SOAP BUBBLES AS THEY
TEMPLE GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF A HALF OPEN LOTUS ADAPT TO ANY SURFACE THEY SETTLE ON AND WHEN TWO
FLOWER, AFLOAT, SURROUNDER BY ITS LEAVES. EACH BUBBLES JOIN, THE LINE OF THE JOIN IS ALWAYS EXACTLY
COMPONENT OF THE BUILDING IS REPEATED 9 TIMES. PERPANDICULAR, THEREFORE BASING THE ‘LEAN-TO’ BIOME
• ALL ELEMETS ARE IN MULTIPLE OF 9 AS IT IS SAID TO STRUCTURES ON SOAP BUBBLES WAS A PERFECT WAY TO
SYMBOLISE COMPREHENSIVENESS, ONENESS AND UNITY. BUILD ON THE UNEVEN AND SHIFTING SANDS OF THE PIT.
BIOME ( SOAP
BUBBLES FORM FIT TO
11. FORM UNDULATED SITE)

NATURAL SLOPE
VEGETATION
SNO. PARAMETERS CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 2 INFERENCES
• GENERATION OF FORM • COLUMN FREE SPACE
• BAHAI FAITH • MAXIMUM SUNLIGHT INTAKE
12. DESIGN CHALLENGE • CLIMATIC CHALLENGE • OPTIMUM VOLUME FOR REQUIRED FUNCTION
• NATURAL VENTILATION • VISUAL APPEARANCE
• NATURAL LIGHTING • LIGHT WEIGHTED STRUCTURE

Light in interiors FEWER MATERIALS

• SINCE THE LOTUS IS OPEN AT THE TOP, A GLASS AND STEEL • THE BIOMES HEXAONS COPY NATURE’S HONEYCOMBS:
ROOF AT THE LEVEL OF THE RADIAL BEAMS PROVIDES MAXIMUM STRENGTH USING MINIMUM MATERIALS.
PROTECTION FROM RAIN AND FACILITATES THE ENTRY OF
NATURAL LIGHT INTO THE AUDITORIUM.

INTERNAL DOME RIBS =

ROOF OPENING

SKYLIGHT COLUMN FREE SPACE AND OPTIMUM VOLUME

THE WHOLE SUPERSTRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION AS A • THE STRUCTURE IS COMPLETELY FREE OF INTERNAL SUPPORT
SKYLIGHT. DUE TO BUBBLE LIKE FORM.
13. APPLICATION IN DESIGN Cooling method adopted: • IT IS VERY EFFICIENT STRUCTURE DESIGN AS IT PROVIDES
MAXIMUM STRENGTH OF STEEL WITH A MINIMUM AND
• THE CENTRAL HALL OF THE TEMPLE IS DESIGNED TO
MAXIMUM VOLUME WITH MINIMAL SURFACE.
FUNCTION AS A CHIMNEY, WITH OPENINGS AT TOP AND
BOTTOM ( STACK EFFECT) THIS ENSURES A CONSTANT
DROUGHT OF COOL AIR TO PASS OVER THE POOLS IN
BASEMENT AND HALL.
• ALSO THE TEMPLE IS SURROUNDED BY NINE LARGE POOLS
OF WATER THAT NOT ONLY ENHANCE ITS BEAUTY BUT ALSO
PLAY A ROLE IN THE NATURAL COOLING SYSTEM OF THE
HALL.
EXHAUST OF AIR

• TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS COLUMN FREE SPACE, THE SERIES

STACK EFFECT OF GEODESIC DOMES ARE CONNECTED BY A TRUSS AT THEIR
INTERSECTION.
• THE TRUSSES TRANSFER THE LOAD TO THEIR FOUNDATION.
HOT AIR RISES • THE DOMES ALSO PARTLY TRANSFER THE LOAD TO THE STRIP
UP FOUNDATION ALONG ITS PERIMETER.

JAL TATWA

• BUILDING AS A CHIMNEY

MATERIAL • THE 27 PETALS WERE CLAD WITH WHITE MARBLE FROM ETFE, STEEL GRIDS
RAJASTHANI MACRANA,
• THE DOLOMITE CLAY IS FROM THE MINES OF ALWAR, NEW
14. DELHI, AND
• THE WHITE SILICA SAND IS FROM JAIPUR.
• THE STRUCTURE IS CEMENT AND IS COMBINED WITH THE
PRE- FABRICATED PIECES, ALSO CEMENT OF THE FLUTED
PETALS.
SNO. PARAMETERS CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 2 INFERENCES