Design approach: Our design starts from a concentric set of a square and a circle at plan which are aligned with lines of the site. The circle at the heart of space, instead of simply being extruded in height, becomes a sector of a sphere, a negative dome. This negative space resonates the absence of Buddhist symbol and connects two sites, two religions, and two eras in a perfect way. The new structure not only does not try to dominate the older one, but also tries to sympathize the absence of the symbol, look at it, and start a conversation through the distance between them. Just like an echo which returns from the cliff, the new construction inherits the scar. Since the statue is not going to be replaced, the dome will never rise into the sky.
The roof is shaped by a transformed version of the first square which has rotated in two directions to face the Buddha's place completely. Sides of the volume will be shaped from a parametric tessellation of curving surfaces. Opening of each tile has a direct relation to the amount of the curvature of the surface. It will simplify the construction, and provide more space to walk on in more planar parts. Water as a symbolic gesture flows from the south, goes underneath of the negative dome and continues to the small pound at north.