‘The beauty of this building is intangible’

– Volkskrant, 2 januari 2013

Boeddhistisch Meditatiecentrum Metta Vihara

The Buddhist Meditation Centre Metta Vihara is located in Hengstdijk – a small village near the Belgian border – in a remote area of the Netherlands. The new accommodation provides 22 beds in 13 one and two person bedrooms, a meditation hall, library, and dining hall. Form and materials used in the centre relate to the rural vernacular building, but used in a new and fresh way. Our overall design concept was to design a building that, while beautiful, wasn’t overly comforting. This is in line with the philosophy that, while on retreat, one should feel relaxed, but not necessarily ‘at home’ As a result, Metta Vihara has strong aesthetics that feature robust and raw materials. The Metta Vihara building is the first newly built meditation centre in the Netherlands. Download a more elaborate description of the project here (PDF).

Facts & figures

Client: Metta Vihara BV
Team: Peter van Assche,  Hiske van der Meer, Gonçalo Moreira, Charlotte Vermaning, Justyna Osiecka
Design: 2009
Built: 2011