Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple)

[smuncky]

This truely is a remarkable piece of architecture. Unfortuently, the site is not fully finished and there are work crews still putting in paving stones and such but it still looks amazing. You can't take picuters on the inside which gives you more incentive to go and check it out on your own. Believe me it's quite worth it.

The marble was all carved in India by volunteers and transported here. Everything was made with volunteer labour and money which makes it even more remarkable. There is an interesting video that they show which takes you through the building process and gives you other quick facts.

It's located off the 427 at Finch Ave.

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
61 Claireville Drive, Toronto
ON M9W 5Z7

LINK

 

[Dan416]

I love how it's a little piece of India right in our back yards. Like Spadina Street is a little piece of China or Hong Kong. I think that's one of the great things about living in a big city like Toronto. The variety.

 

[BobBob]

Does the proximity of the highway detract from the experience while at the grounds of the complex? Can one hear the hum of the vehicles?

Might be a good idea to plant a couple of rows of trees along that edge of the lot, at least.

 

[St. Even]

Jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring beauty.

 

[Urban Shocker]

It isn't unique. There's one almost identical to it in an Atlanta suburb, also sent over from India in kit form and assembled on site.

 

[Conrad Black]

So what? You want Clewes to design their temple? It looks great and it does do the job it is required to do.

 

[Urban Shocker]

London's temple kit arrived, and was assembled, in 1995. They took it apart and moved it a few miles to a nicer site last year.

Nairobi's kit arrived, and was put together, in 1999.

The Chicago temple kit was assembled in 2004. The one in Houston in the same year ...

 

[Canuck]

London's temple kit arrived, and was assembled, in 1995. They took it apart and moved it a few miles to a nicer site last year.

Nairobi's kit arrived, and was put together, in 1999.

The Chicago temple kit was assembled in 2004. The one in Houston in the same year ...

Point?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Temple-in-a-Box is modular, interchangeable, portable and probably coming to a city near you. Better than a diamond ring, a fancy car, or a house in the hills.

 

[unimaginative2]

Up next...modular Clewes! Box-in-a-Box!

 

[flar]

Did the volunteers in India hand carve this, or did the volunteers operate CNC machines that carved the marble? The carving is very uniform and repetitive. Still it looks impressive from a distance.

 

[Urban Shocker]

As far as I can tell, many of the Temple-in-a-Box franchises source much of their construction materials locally and ship them to India for the temple manufacturing plant to finish. I would imagine the labour costs are considerably cheaper that way, given the assembly line nature of this highly successful operation. And of course the actual assembly is done on site by the congregations once the modular parts are shipped back to the branch plant, so it doesn't cost anything to "build" because unionised labour isn't part of the equation. The Toronto temple could, in theory, be disassembled and shipped to a downtown location for a while if a big cultural event like a world's fair blew into town, and then packed up again and returned to the suburbs.

 

[ganjavih]

Up next...modular Clewes! Box-in-a-Box!

 

[Urban Shocker]

The Cistercians, with their minimalist Monastery architecture in 12th and 13th century Europe, also adopted a standardised, almost modular approach to their buildings that is similar to these Indian temples.

It was remarkably austere in comparison, because the outward form it took was based on a faith which renounced the clerical excess and corruption of Christianity at that time, and consisted of basically the same floor plan and interior design, lack of stained glass etc. applied throughout Europe.

Le Corbusier and, latterly, John Pawson, were strongly influenced by Cistercian minimalism and spirituality.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Up next ... modular Faux-in-a-Box!

Your choice of Classical, Gothic, or French Chateau!

Clip-on pippypoos and doodads designed by Robert A.M. Stern included!