Projects > Religious > Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center + Big Buddha
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center + Big Buddha
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center + Big Buddha
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The earliest roots of Buddhism can be traced back to India from where it gained a devoted following throughout Asia. With over half a billion followers Buddhism is one of the world's major religions. The largest populations of Buddhist followers are in Asian countries including Taiwan where over one-third of the population is Buddhist. Fo Guang Shan (F.G.S.) is an international Buddhist new religious movement based in Taiwan. The organization was founded in 1967 by Chinese Buddhist Monk Hsing Yun. In addition to being one of Taiwan's largest charity organizations, F.G.S. also provides education and sponsors cultural and community events.
F.G.S.'s headquarters are located in Dashu District in Taiwan's second largest city Kaohsiung. Situated on more than 30 hectares, F.G.S.'s headquarters is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. In 1997 Hsing Yun closed F.G.S.'s headquarters to the visiting public to allow full focus on religious practice. After requests from the Taiwanese President and numerous government officials, F.G.S. re-opened their doors to the public in 2000. Plans immediately began for the Buddha Memorial Center, situated adjacent to the existing headquarters. Set on more than 100 hectares, F.G.S. Buddha Memorial Center begins with an entrance gate, beyond which is an open square leading to a grand welcoming hall. Just past the welcoming hall is an extensive open square with eight 38-meter tall pagodas. This area leads to a concourse and the Main Hall, which houses three shrines, four permanent exhibits, four art galleries, and an expansive high ceiling auditorium with stadium seating for several hundred guests. Just beyond the Main Hall is the Big Buddha, a 36-meter tall statue of Buddha (108 meters tall including the structure the statue sits on). As a place of religion, education, and peace (and as one of the country's most popular tourist destinations), visitor safety in event of an earthquake is of paramount importance. This combined with two other factors (1: F.G.S.'s request for a 200 year lifespan for the main structural system, and 2: the importance of construction cost savings due to the nonprofit, charitable nature of F.G.S.) necessitated an innovative structural system. F.G.S. Buddha Memorial Center was opened to the public in December 2011. |
Project Details
Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Gross Building Area: 42,000 m^2 (Buddha Memorial Center), 11,000 m^2 (Big Buddha) Scope of Service: Schematic design through construction documents Client: Humanistic Culture and Education Foundation, Fo Guang Shan Architect: Kris Yao | Artech (Taipei, Taiwan) (Buddha Memorial Center), Taipei International Group (Taipei, Taiwan) (Big Buddha) |
