Europe’s Biggest Buddhist Temple to Open Outside Paris
The new temple in Bussy Saint Georges, near Disneyland Paris DR/blog-habitat-durable.com
by Angela Diffley
from Radio France Internationale
With a month to go until its official opening on 22 June, workers are adding the finishing touches to the biggest Buddhist Temple in Europe, situated in a special eco-friendly zone, just outside Paris.
A church, a synagogue, and a mosque in the same environmentally-friendly complex, will eventually complete this special ecumenical venture.
The huge 8000m2 construction in Bussy-Saint-Georges is built mostly in glass, wood, and unrefined concrete dotted with roof gardens. It is set amid extensive grounds filled with fruit trees.
The structure houses both a place of worship and a Buddhist cultural centre, and was designed by the Frédéric Rolland firm of architects.
An area open to the general public will include a vegetarian restaurant, and space for regular calligraphy workshops, meditation sessions and activities such as oriental tea-tasting.
