Hemis Monastic School

Ladakh, also known as ‘Little Tibet’ is infamous for its Hemis Monastery. This 300 years old Tibetan Buddhist monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. As part of a modernization plan, one of the main developments is a new school for 500 monks in the Hemis monastery.

Project Details +

Project Details

LOCATION: Ladakh, India

CLIENT: His Holiness, The 12th Gyalwang Drukpa

DATE: 2009 - 2011

SIZE: 7 000 m²  Educational and boarding facilities for 500 monks

Credits +

Credits

ACME: Kelvin Chu, Friedrich Ludewig, Monica Preziuso 

In collaboration with P.A.C.

Hemis is situated in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,700m, the district combines the condition of both arctic and desert climate. Spiritual leader, His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, intends to introduce western education system to existing traditional religious study. While the main temple continues to provide spiritual education to the monks, this proposed school will facilitate a structured and modern circulum varying from languages to arts and craft and I.T.

Plan level 3

Roof plan

The school aims to be responsive to Ladakh’s harsh climate while proposing a school type that is progressive but yet sensitive to the character of its surroundings. This project not only seeks to provide a stable education to future monks but also be economically sustainable. This could be done through either providing spritual educational services or creating spritual artifacts that could be sold to the wider community.

Long Section

Sectional Diagram

Trombe Corridor System

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