Lantern at apex of building at 拢700m military training facility will emit 'spiritual light'

Call it the Joanna Lumley effect, but the Ministry of Defence clearly has new-found respect for its Gurkha soldiers, as designs for this new Hindu temple show.

Scott Brownrigg, one of the architects commissioned to design a 拢700m defence college at St Athans, has designed a temple specifically for the use of Gurkha and other Hindu soldiers attending the college.

The temple will have a pyramid-shaped roof, with a large glazed lantern at the apex. Metrix, the joint venture building the defence college, says this will 鈥渟ymbolise the emission of spiritual light from the building鈥�.

The building will be part of a 鈥渕ulti-faith zone鈥� and will be located at the main entrance of the 拢700m project.

Duncan MacRae, director of Metrix Property, said: 鈥淭he Gurkha regiment plays an important role in the British army and we wanted to ensure that the spiritual needs of its soldiers and their families were provided for. The temple will hold a prominent position within the defence technical college, alongside the other faith buildings at the main entrance, reflecting the importance the UK armed forces place on religion.鈥�

The defence technical college will provide training facilities for thousands of military trainees, and is being designed by a consortium of architects Scott Brownrigg, Capita and HLM. Laing O鈥橰ourke is the main contractor.

Topics