Study on the Design of Urban Buddhist Temples in the Aging Society : Xiao-putuo Guan-yin Temple in Shanghai

Aging is a major social problem in the process of rapid urbanizing China, but the current general elderly-care pattern usually emphasizes physical welfare and neglects spiritual wellbeing of the elderly. As the carrier of community spirit and memory, urban temples can meet new needs and realize social service value through space design. Taking the project of Xiao-putuo Guan-yin Temple as an example, this paper studies the spatial design of modern urban Buddhist temples from the aspects of function and spatial layout, dialogue between modernity and tradition, the shaping of religious atmosphere, and ecological planning and community garden. The study aims to provide useful reference for the construction of urban religious spaces in the aging society.