From 1900s, Indian immigrants from the South Asia, Caribbean and other areas of the world, a lot of them Hindus, have been immigrating to Canada. And most of these immigrants settled down in GTA and the surrounding area, especially in Scarborough. The National Household Survey shows that during the 30 years from 1971 to 2011, the percentage of the Hindus in the Canadian population has grown up 30 times from 0.05% to 1.5%. 73.2% of the Hindus live in Ontario. In Scarborough, more than 15% of the population is Hindus, which is much higher than the other areas in Canada. In Rouge Park district where this Project is located, 18.6% of the population is Hindus. The establishment of Shiva-Shakti Cultural Centre is one of the highlights of the Canadian multi-cultural community.

In Hinduism, especially the major tradition – Shaktism, Shiva and Shakti are the two of the principal deities. Shiva - “the auspicious one” – is the Supreme Being who creates, protects and transforms the universe; and Shakti – “the goddess of energy and capability” – is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces moving through the entire universe. Thus, the name of the cultural centre clearly interprets its lofty status in this community.

A Shiva Linga, which is a stone sculpture with a high plate as the base and a pillar in the centre, is the worship object in Hinduism as the proof of the Lord Shiva and the evidence of the formless but Omnipotent Lord’s existence. Our architectural design concept is that the cultural centre itself, with a 2-storey building as the podium and a tower (Shikhar – summit) on the top of roof, is a Shiva Linga at a large scale.

The project is in an industrial zone and the shape of the property is very narrow. Also to respect the neighbours, the Site entrance had to be kept a distance from the east boundary. Rather than considering this is a handicap, we used this as an opportunity to undulate the building mass into a 45 degree setup. The enlarged site entrance allows for providing a welcoming feeling to the public; and the undulating architecture corner is like a piece of frozen music with a strong rhythm which makes the urban street view more interesting. The south elevation is a formal temple architecture facing the parking lot. The continuous decorative Indian arches are the beauty of this architectural style. The colour of the building simulates the Indian Red Sandstone, presenting the cultural origin and providing the auspicious atmosphere. All together, we have engaged to create an exquisite piece of architecture in the industrial and the residential zone.

The ground floor is a preparation lobby; transcending to the 2nd floor- where the main temple is situated.

Overall, n Architecture Inc. is trying to introduce beauty and spiritual aspects of Indian culture to the citizens of Toronto while creating a place of worship for the local Hindus.

Address: 8861 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, ON

Site Area: 0.46 Acres

Gross Floor Area: 494.4 sqm. (5321.67sq.ft.)

The Total Building Floor Area: 830.3 sqm. (8937.25 sq.ft.)

Status: Going through Site Plan Approval process

n Architecture Inc. is progressive Architecture firm in the Greater Toronto Area.