Over the recent holiday season, many people visited temples to reflect on the passing year. We've rounded up seven projects from our popular temple board on Pinterest.

Around the world, temples are a sacred place for worship, quiet contemplation and celebration. Studios including James Gorst Architects and Hariri Pontarini Architects have commissioned temples for local communities to unite and deepen their spiritual connection.

Scroll down to see seven projects from our temple board on Pinterest.

Sunoo Temple House, India, by Saket Sethi

Indian architect Saket Sethi designed the Sunoo Temple House in Mumbai, India. The dwelling features a rooftop garden and a private worship space that was designed to capture the essence of a galaxy.

The egg-shaped temple is decorated with a glittering mosaic.

Find out more about Sunoo Temple House ›

The Upper-Cloister Buddhist temple, China, by Atelier Deshaus

The Upper-Cloister Buddhist temple and meditation complex in Beijing, China, consists of a series of spaces arranged on stepped platforms located next to the Great Wall of China.

Atelier Deshaus intended to blend the temple with the surrounding terrain to acknowledge the site's history of coal mining and terrace farming.

Find out more about the Upper-Cloister Buddhist temple ›

Temple complex, England, James Gorst Architects

James Gorst Architects created this non-denominational temple complex as a place for contemplation and to provide a spiritual connection to the landscape.

Located in rural Hampshire, UK, the structure is comprised of a rotunda temple, library, prayer chapels and meeting space arranged around a courtyard garden.

Find out more about this temple complex in Hampshire › 

Hindu temple complex, India, by Sameep Padora & Associates

Sameep Padora & Associates created this Hindu temple complex in Andhra Pradesh, India. The studio designed steps made from local black limestone slabs as a nod to traditional Hindu temple forms.

The complex, which is surrounded by a moat, contains two tower-topped shrines and an elongated building which houses a kitchen, public toilets and the priest's quarters.

Find out more about this Hindu temple complex ›

Shoraku-Ji, Japan, by Toru Kashihara Architects

Shoraku-Ji is a Buddhist temple in Tokyo located on a site encompassed by other temples and cemeteries.

The building's facade is divided into three horizontal bands formed by stacked concrete walls and glazed openings.

Find out more about Shoraku-Ji ›

Bahá'í Temple, Chile, by Hariri Pontarini Architects

The religious Bahá'í Community based in Chile entrusted Hariri Pontarini Architects to complete this sculptural temple.

Sufi whirling dancers, who spin in large skirts as a form of physical meditation, Japanese bamboo baskets, and fragments of shattered glass informed its design.

Find out more about the Bahá'í Temple ›

Narayantala Thakurdalan, India, Abin Design Studio

Precast concrete jalis, stacked to create a screen wall, are the main feature of this Hindu temple in India designed by Abin Design Studio.

The buildings' permeable facade enables individuals to maintain a visual link with the shrine as they pass by, all the while preserving a designated area for daily worship, slightly removed from the busy intersection.

Find out more about Narayantala Thakurdalan ›

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