Ayuru the Forest Temple is a 230 sqm multi-functional space created for Aldeia Rizoma—an ecological sanctuary in Paraty, Brazil. Owing to its vast expanses of natural reserves and material heritage, the historic city centre of Paraty, as well as four areas of the Atlantic Forest constitute a UNESCO Heritage Site. Aldeia Rizoma, conceived as a forest village, is a conglomeration of ecological accommodations reminiscent of vernacular Brazilian Architecture. Composed of meditation areas, a gym, body therapy and sauna rooms, the reserve intersperses itself with the Perequê-Açú River, rock formations, natural wells, waterfalls and nature trails in the forest. In a small clearing of the 30-hectare site, Ayuru the Forest Temple assimilates itself seamlessly.

Designed by Brazilian architect Marko Brajovic of Atelier Marko Brajovic, Ayuru (so-called in the Tupi-Gurani group of languages) derives its name from a bird native to the Atlantic Forest and most likely alludes to the brightly coloured green-headed Tanager. Ayuru, the building, is symbolic of Ayuru, the bird, gently landing on the forest ground and a cohesive relationship thus developed between beast and nature. Essentially a circular, unobstructed volume, enclosed by a seemingly monolithic roof with a blue-green clay tiled plumage, the bamboo construction imitates the gentle motion of the bird’s landing, by softly embracing the floor of the forest.

The building is accessed via a narrow paved stone pathway extending from the northeast corner of the site, offering entry not only to the structure but also connecting to the village at large. Devoid of any walls, fenestrations, or distinct columns, the circular design spans 18m in diameter and 8m in height at the tip of the conical roof. This singular volume of the forest temple evokes the indigenous oca and maloca, typologies of communal housing distinguished by a circular or rectangular hall and constructed using mud architecture with locally sourced wood and palm leaves. The absence of internal partition walls allows for a flexible layout, adaptable for various events and activities. To the east and west of the circular volume, two squares extend the program to the exterior, while ancillary programs such as bathrooms, storage and support kitchens are tucked away at the southeast corner of the site.

The roof structure, which constitutes the entirety of the structural system, is built of bamboo of the Guadua Angustifolia species. This system of bamboo construction is supported on 16 columns (11m long), with a dense composition of transverse beams, converging at a central iron ring, which further distributes the load radially, along the beams. This ring, evocative of the central oculus of the classical temple, allows the entry of natural light and ventilation into the interiors.

Internally, the roof of the forest temple is divided into three parts, with support ties placed at regular intervals to counter the compression from the transverse beams. This arrangement separates the top sections from the lower one, which consists of a triangular arrangement of transverse beams allowing for openings around the perimeter of the circular hall, ending at stub-sized columns.

Externally, these structural elements are concealed by ceramic tiles, glazed at high temperatures with a blue-green hue, which consolidates its presence within the forest surroundings. The scale, as well as the profile of the canopy structure, render an architectural element that serves both as roof and wall, with the lower ridged profile providing entrances into the interior. These entrances, scaled for human access, reaffirm the relationship between the structure and nature, while on the interior, the volume expands to a scale befitting a contemplative space.

The material palette employed for the forest temple is a testament to the site it sits on. Local clay forms the soil-cement floor finish, while timber and bamboo from nearby Cunha and Mambucaba are used for decking and roofing respectively. The combination of the conical roof's intimate scale and the glazed clay tiles, which shift in colour with light and shadow, gives the structure a pavilion-like quality and fosters introspection in harmony with its surroundings.

Ayuru the Forest Temple embodies the fundamental act of building, comprising a solitary architectural element enclosing a unified volume by integrating indigenous construction techniques and locally sourced natural materials.