Key words: Akhilendeswari, Annapoorna, Brick, Campus, GLASS, Meditation, Shrines, Vishnu
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
This multi-phase Hindu temple campus in Antelope Valley, designed by CSA Partners under Cyrus Subawalla, represents a sensitive negotiation between tradition and modernity, using historical precedent while addressing contemporary community needs. Rooted in the design language of the Kangra Temple, dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, the campus adapts symbolic and formal cues for the diverse Hindu diaspora in California.
The first phase, the MahaVishnu Temple (2014), employs terracotta-hued brick and precast concrete domes to ground the sacred architecture in earthy materiality while elevating it on a plinth. It accommodates multiple shrines, reinforcing inclusivity within Hindu worship. The second phase, Annapoorna Hall (2021), expands the campus’s function with a social hall and kitchen, blurring the boundaries between the religious and civic. Its sliding masonry walls and glass insertions create fluid transitions between sacred and communal realms.
The third phase, the Shri Amma Meditation Center (2023), is the most experimental, employing a womb-like form of concrete and glass to evoke fertility and personal growth, aligned with the worship of Goddess Akhilendeswari. Its faceted glass and portal frame structure mark a departure into architectural innovation while remaining symbolically resonant.
Overall, the project balances cultural continuity, metaphorical richness, and structural innovation, demonstrating how diaspora Hindu temples can act as both spiritual sanctuaries and community anchors in a modern context.
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
TEMPLE EXTERIOR - Photography: © Jill Weller & Cyrus Subawalla
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