The introduction of a contemporary building onto a historic site always raises the question of whether its architecture enhances the value of its setting — and whether it derives its value from its immediate surroundings. Three low-key, unassuming volumes define the project. Intuitively arranged on the site’s lower terrace and linked by a plaza, they can be approached in many ways; there is no single route to the independent volumes.

Fragmenting the design into three volumes, placed at different levels along a movement route that traverses a ten-metre elevation difference, follows the logic and grain of the surrounding fabric. The volume on the western edge sinks below ground, establishing a visual dialogue with the terrain — deferring, above all, to the monumental Buddha niches in the cliff beyond.