THYE HUA KWAN TEMPLE

The Façade illumination concept was borrowed on the basic element of candles and the gentleness of moonlight, seeking to minimize its impact on the surrounding, and to create a scheme of restrained and sensitivity. The temple was imagined as a living architecture of an embodied light when dusk falls; where the illumination emphasises the lightness of the lifting tilt ridges of the sweeping tiled roofs, one of the main typology of roofs found in Chinese Architecture. The horizontal granite balustrades at level three and four, was uplighted with tightly integrated lights that matches the colours of the balustrades. The intricately crafted granite “dragon heads” post top, features a bespoke lamp that mimics the movement of the flame of the candle; making the architecture mesmerisingly alive, with its constant movement and dramatic play of lights.


Indirect cove lighting are used throughout the prayer halls, museum lighting techniques are used to gently emphasis the deities; with high colour rendition indexes luminaires and appropriate colour temperature to bring out the brilliance of the statue’s gold hues. The rear of the prayer hall, leads to a tranquil landscape courtyard, gently illuminated in silver white light, with accentuation to the trees, much like the scene of Chinese poetry, designed in calmness of a habitation for reflection or meditation. The ensemble of the interior and landscape spaces was built on simplicity, balancing modest illumination with reverence for the spiritual spaces.