Palyul Buddihst & Community Centre
Type: Public
Client: Palyul Centre UK Charity
Location: South East London
Status: RIBA Stage 2
Client: Palyul Centre UK Charity
Location: South East London
Status: RIBA Stage 2
The charity (1094656) was founded over 24 years ago by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and holder of the Palyul Lineage, to promote compassion and wisdom in the UK. It is run totally by volunteers. Throughout that time, many respected teachers have visited London to give seminars to a wide audience, including attendees from the continent.
The original UK Centre in Islington was too small to hold many people, so larger venues had to be hired each time for the teachings and ceremonial events. For the past four years the Trustees have been searching for a more suitable space and location.
The new site is perfectly situated for this. In addition to its established congregation, the Palyul Centre UK is now reaching out to other Tibetan and Himalayan-wide communities, many of whom live in the area and are followers of Tibetan Buddhism.
The position of this site along a future key thoroughfare, coupled with the unique context of a large brick industrial building on the other side of the adj. railway tracks, presents an opportunity to create a unique and interesting building that bridges this divide and helps create a sense of place alongside other new developments.