Korean Buddhist Temple
The Jogye Order Korean Buddhist Namkook Temple in Auckland, New Zealand, is a stunning new temple building designed to evoke the delicate yet resilient daffodil flower. This project, commissioned by the temple trust and designed by Blacktree Architects + Designers, was built and managed by Blacktree Construction Management. The temple embodies the dualities of lightness and grandeur, delicacy and strength, and softness and firmness, inspired by the daffodil’s symbolism of rebirth and hope.
The temple's design harmonizes contrasting qualities into a cohesive architectural expression, creating a sculptural meditation space for the Buddhist community. The use of steel represents firmness and strength, while natural fine timber conveys softness, delicacy, and lightness. Achieving structural integrity with massive steel while blending it seamlessly into the aesthetic appearance required an extensive design process, ultimately achieving maximum strength with minimal exposure.
The structure combines the strength of steel with the natural aesthetics of wood, creating a dramatic shape while enhancing sustainability. The protective coating system was changed to a zinc metal spray system, removing negative environmental impacts associated with the galvanizing process. The use of laminated and natural timber for cladding also contributes to carbon capture.
Steel was chosen for its construction efficiency, allowing for off-site fabrication in a controlled environment and rapid on-site assembly. By closely collaborating with the architect and engineering teams, we ensured project success. A key innovation was changing the coating system from hot-dipped galvanizing to a zinc metal spray finish, allowing for larger assemblies, fewer bolted site connections, and a better aesthetic result. This change also eliminated the risk of distortion and the need for additional venting and drainage holes.
The project required end-to-end innovation, from detailing to fabrication. We engaged Steelpro Drafting, using Bentley Software’s ProSteel system to produce clear shop drawings and data files for precise cutting with a TRUMPF TruLaser Tube 5000 fibre. This ensured perfect assembly and fabrication, achieving a fabrication accuracy rate of over 99%. The use of lasers and digital levels during assembly further enhanced accuracy and efficiency, allowing the entire structure to be erected with just one crane.
