Architects submit plans for new meditation hall

Matthew Montague Architects has put forward designs for a new meditation hall at a Buddhist retreat in Derbyshire.

The firm has submitted plans to South Derbyshire District Council for the new building at Ashe Hall, Etwall, on behalf of the Tara International Kadampa Retreat Centre.

The Tara Meditation Hall would be used for a variety of teaching and meditation practices.

The centre had a meditation hall for many years, which was a pre-fabricated structure.

However, it fell into a state of disrepair and was eventually condemned as a health risk and was demolished.

The new hall can accommodate 250 people and would be a focal point for the thousands of visitors who use it for classes, retreats and national Buddhist celebrations every year.

Architect Matthew Montague said: “There are a number of beautiful Buddhist spaces across the UK, the main one being the Kadampa Temple for World Peace in Ulverston in the Lake District. However, the Tara Meditation Hall will be unique in its design.

“I’ve designed a lot of buildings over the past 25 years but never one that will be used by thousands of visitors from around the world before.

“Understanding the client’s requirements and beliefs and integrating them with architecture were really important for this design.

“If planning permission is granted the new centre will be a modern building that retains the essential meaningful ordainments and aspects that make a holy place within the Buddhist tradition.”

Ashe Hall, which is Grade II-listed, was built in 1869 and was a family home until it became a boarding school for boys in 1920.

The hall was used as a Red Cross hospital during the Second World War. It then passed to local government ownership and operated as a special school until it was purchased by The Tara Buddhist Centre in 1996.

Since then, it has operated as the Tara International Kadampa Retreat Centre.

The main hall comprises residential accommodation and teaching spaces for the practice of Kadampa Buddhism, with the courtyard buildings being ancillary teaching accommodation and a World Peace Café, which is open to all.