Temple of a Million Bottles

It is fair to say that most buildings are constructed from brick and mortar. Very few however are constructed from glass bottles and mortar- however this is exactly how the buildings at 'Wat Lan Kaud' (Temple of a million bottles) were built in Thailand. The project began in 1984 and is now estimated to have used more than 1.5 million bottles donated by the local population. As well as looking beautiful this structure says more to us about it's values. This has proven to be a very successful structure- the bottles are strong, low maintenance and allow in natural light. Another draw to the structure is its impressive sustainable credentials- using the bottles in this way is a classic example of recycling what would otherwise be a waste material- even the bottle tops are retained to create decorative mosaics.
Perhaps the most ironic thing is that of the 1.5 million bottles so far used in the project not one has been donated by the builders directly- Buddhist monks for whom drinking is a sin!
This project, which has now become a tourist attraction in the local area should inspire us all to look beyond the obvious choices for building materials when there may be more creative, sustainable and fun solutions available.
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/10/27/temple-of-a-million-bottles/