P o h Ern Shih Temple, meaning “The Temple of Thanksgiving”, with its seven-storey stupa, stands majestic in the midst of a residential locality on a small hilltop in suburban Singapore. It was built in 1954 in the aftermath of World War II, and stands on a site that witnessed gruesome fighting in which several civilians lost their lives. The temple, built as a memorial to those departed, underwent a major renovation in the early 2000s.
In its new avatar, the structure became Singapore’s first religious institution to blend sustainable building features and elderly-friendly designs with traditional Chinese architecture. The Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastery designed by architect Lee Coo, combines modern technology with an architectural synthesis of classical features, with great importance given to environmental conservation.
The shrine, which has a ground floor area of 4,400 sq.m, taps into Singapore’s terrain, topography and climatic conditions to good effect. A gentle driveway stretches from its gates to the upper storeys of the temple to enable the elderly and wheelchair-bound worshippers easy access to the temple.
Different kinds of solar energy cells on its rooftop use the abundant sunlight to provide electricity and hot water.
Mirror periscopes
To enhance lighting in the basement and lower levels, sunlight is filtered down through hollow cylindrical structures lined with mirrors which serve as ‘mirror periscopes’.
Electricity is collected from its hybrid wind and solar energy units to provide night lighting of its landscape and common corridors. Yellow crystalline globes illuminate its parapets and stairways. More durable LED bulbs are used for the Lotus Flower Lights in the main hall.
To capitalise on the hilly location, a couple of wind generators have been set up on the roof. Excess power is pumped into the Singapore power grid.
Pillars as conduits
Two large pillars in the temple double up as conduits for channelising hydroelectric power. The pillars have been hollowed out and fitted with pipes that feed into hydroelectric generators. The electricity from this is used for charging battery-operated wheelchairs and lighting some areas.
Rainwater harvesting
Water collected in a mini reservoir from rainwater harvesting is used to water plants and clean the temple grounds. Further, by deploying Reverse Osmosis Technology in Portable Filtration, rain water is conserved, collected and converted to potable water.
Kitchen and other organic waste are turned into compost which serves as fertilizer for the many plants grown in the temple garden.
Smooth riding
Great attention has been given to make the entire complex user friendly for the elderly and wheelchair bound.
The floors at all levels of the edifice are laid out even without any humps, to facilitate smooth riding of wheelchairs.
Special lavatory cubicles are present in every floor for the challenged with ‘call-for-help’ buttons placed within easy reach.
Further, the ir doors have been configured in such a way that they can be unlocked from the outside in case of emergencies.
Furnishings
In keeping with its objective of using renewable resources, the furnishings in the temple’s residential quarters are made entirely from bamboo, one of the most ecologically friendly building materials in the world.
A serene and soulful ambience pervades the edifice and merges with its aesthetics to provide a sublime experience to worshippers.
