Forget Gothic cathedrals and ancient mosques these wonders of modern architecture are the world's most amazing places to pray
- Nine religious buildings have been shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival
- They are in places as far apart as the U.S., Vietnam and South Korea, spanning Christianity, Islam and Buddhism
These amazing places of worship are among the world's most beautiful places to pray.
The religious buildings, located as far apart as the U.S., Asia and the Middle East, are all due to feature in the upcoming World Architecture Festival in Singapore.
All
nine buildings form the shortlist for the religion category. The
designs are huge departures from the traditional forms of each religion,
in some cases resembling a helter-skelter slide or a Bond villain's
lair.
Symbol of marriage: Pictured is the
Ribbon Chapel in Hiroshima, Japan, which has twin spiral staircases
design to represent the union of man and wife
Rays of light: The airy seat of worship is pictured here from within, and shows a bride heading up one of her staircases
Middle Eastern: Pictured is the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (bottom right) in Doha
Interior: Here the inside of the
Islamic Studies centre can be seen, with spots of light dancing over the
ceiling and elegant lettering towering over the faithful
Tranquil: Pictured is the Floating Moon Temple in Suining County, in the Jiangsu region of China
Within: Pictured is the interior of the Floating Moon Temple, which is devoted to Buddhism
They include churches, mosques a monastery and a Buddhist temple.
Speaking about the entrants to CNN,
festival program director Paul Finch said: 'The brief is usually
looking for something that engages with the spirit, has elements of
beauty and calm and reflection, and that's a wonderful thing for
architects to respond to.
'It's hard to tell if they themselves are or aren't religious.'
Precarious: The Cardedeu church is pictured above, jutting over an outcrop in the mountains of El Slavador
Cross: An unconventional crucifix can be seen to the right of the open-air place of worship, which overlooks Lake Coatepeque
Great outdoors: This is the pagoda in
Nha Trang, Vietnam - a building which defends the worshipper from the
elements but leaves him close to nature
Tranquil: Pictured is another section of the Pagoda, where a man has lit a candle among wildflowers around the central space
Urban: Pictured is the Catholic City
Hub in Singapore. The modern building has narrow rows of metal in an
ornate pattern allowing onlookers a glimpse inside
Spectacular surroundings: This is the Light of Life Church in Gapyeong Gun, South Korea, which is covered by a huge glass roof
Dancing lights: This image from inside the Light of Life Church shows sunlight dancing around the wooden construction
Box style: Here is the Mahabodi Monastery in Singapore, another entrant in the nine-strong shortlist
Strident: This is the Stella Maris Catholic Church in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also on the nine-strong shortlist
Inside: This is the Stella Maris from within, lined with protruding boxes for worshippers on the second level
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