IA&B July,2017

TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER 90 MUMBAI ` 200 JULY 2017 VOL 30 (11)

ARCHITECTURE Kulm Eispavillon, Foster + Partners ArcelorMittal Orbit, Dr Cecil Balmond OBE Modern Architecture of Baku Delhi Art Gallery - Mumbai, Morphogenesis The Axis Pramiti School, The Purple Ink Studio SUSTAINABILITY Kaza Eco-Community Centre, Auroville Earth Institute Minaret House, Chaukor Studio INTERIORS Heydar Aliyev Center, Zaha Hadid Architects Office for Nando’s, Gurugram

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industry news

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Experience Centre - Novell Ikebana, Neemrana

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eriving inspiration from Ikebana, Japanese art and style of flower arrangement this iconic building is the sales and marketing office with an attached sample flat for Novell Ikebana, Neemrana.

The formula architecture + landscape generally makes people think of a building which is located within specific surroundings. This Experience center perfectly treats both as equally important. Since it sits on a highway away from the concrete chaos the location demanded an iconic building that integrates architecture and the surrounding landscape in a novel way.

Design Forum International approach of bringing in order in geometry, reflects the connection between the sky, the man and the earth, in which diversity comes into play, manifesting itself in a mélange. The outcome was this monumental building, with free-flowing curves.

Taking inspiration from the disciplined art form, Ikebana, in which nature and humanity are brought together, the center is an expression of creativity. The building has been designed to provide the visitors an experience worth remembering. A fine integration of rhythm and form brings nature into this space and within this context represents the preface of design philosophy adopted in the project.

Seating and Sales area on the sides. The reception further leads to the display area which showcases a model of the Novell Ikebana housing scheme. Creatively expressing cohesiveness with nature, beauty and green spaces, enough attention has been given to landscape details.

Emphasizing shape, line and form, the design process blends the softness of the nuances of nature with utilitarian goals of a functional building.

FACT FILE:

Ikebana Experience Centre is developed as a curvilinear form: wrapped around, merged with and in resonance with the landscape. A form in which the outdoors gradually melts into the indoors, softened and aided by a languid pool and entry puddle. The building has a leaf shaped canopy, which is in geometry with the structure. The curvaceous roof forms are a tribute to the large tree canopies that provide shade in man-made hardscapes. Transparency has been represented in terms of the glass façade and a clean steel structure that supports the building.

Typology Name of Project Location Architect Name of Client/Developer Principal Architect Structural MEP Landscape Hvac Furniture

The building sits on a raised earth mound – 5 ft. elevated from the ground. A walkway ramps up to a welcoming reception and display area. Entrance is placed on the longer axis of this elliptical structure.

For further information, contact: Design Forum International: B 6/7 vasant vihar, New Delhi 110057, Tel: +91 11 41604180, +91 11 41077018, Web: www.epistle.co

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

: : : : : : : : : : :

Residential Experience Centre - Ikebana Neemrana Rajasthan Design Forum International Novell Group Anand sharma Nnc Design Consultant Cespl Studio Dp Cespl Studio Constntine

industry news

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OPPLE launches another pair of extraordinary LED Lights – The Flood Light EcoMax II & the SpotLight HJ Best set of lights under the category of professional luminaries.

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pple, a global integrated lighting solutions company, and one of World’s Leading LED Lighting brand today introduced their another set of advanced lights, The Flood Light EcoMax II and the SpotLight HJ. These are considered few of the best options amongst their range of professional Luminaries.

The Flood Light EcoMax II has a slim and compact design with robust housing and refined finish coating. This makes the product Vibration proof, wind proof and rust proof. Along with this, it comes equipped with excellent thermal management for stable performance. Its adaptable installation makes it easy to fix and results in 50% lower energy consumption and a longer life span.

Whereas, the SpotLight HJ, is a newly designed LED light with an inbuilt compound eye lens that focusses on accurate light shape control together with uniform light distribution. Not just this, its aluminium die-casting heat sink helps control heat which in turn enables better efficiency. One of its best features are its rotation capacity. It can be rotated 355° horizontally and 35° vertically which supports flexible adjustment for accent lighting. Such lights can help in accommodating different display areas and applications. These are available in multiple beam angle choices and powers.

According to Mr. Rambo Zhang, Country Head, Opple Lighting, “Both Flood Light EcoMax II and SpotLight HJ, are the best of Opple’s products.

They are a part of our most progressive professional LED luminaries.

With such efficient and sustainable features they’re sure to capture the market. SpotLight HJ’s rotation feature’s application along with enormous heat control makes it out-of-the-box. On the other hand, Flood Light EcoMax II’s 50% lower power consumption and excellent thermal management are the best amongst similar products in the industry.”

The Flood Light EcoMax II is available for Rs. 3060-/- onwards and SpotLight HJ for Rs. 1798-/- onwards.

About Opple Opple Lighting is an Innovative, fast growing, Integrated Lighting Solutions Company. With sales & service operations in more than 50 countries around the world, Opple is known for its strong commitment to R&D and Innovation. Opple Lighting was founded in 1996 as home lighting company specializing in the manufacture of CFL and ceiling lights. Since then the company’s portfolio has diversified to include electrical appliances, commercial lighting and LED lighting and is the largest home lighting company in the Chinese market. The company is headquartered in Shanghai, China and the global operations are driven by a team of committed 7000 employees, inclusive of 400 engineers in R&D. Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

For further information, contact: Website: www.opple.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/OPPLElighting or Linkedin: www.linkedin comcompany/OPPLE-lighting RSVP – Srishti Soni Narula; +91 99904 94150

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industry news

Havwoods International now in India

“Wood was my calling, I guess…and I answered.” smiles Aashish Poojari, Director, Havwoods International. It was in a wood working unit in Daman that this first generation entrepreneur flagged off his career in what would become a life enterprise along with his brother Adesh Poojari. The metamorphosis has been impressive - from manufacturing and marketing furniture components and gift articles to setting up India’s largest showroom for European wooden flooring to becoming Indiaexclusive partners to one of Europe’s major market leaders.

“It was the late 1900’s that we shifted focus to wooden flooring. It was a very exciting idea at that time and we wanted to be part of this new industry.” Aashish and Adesh set up Plan B. This 5000 sq. ft. showroom was possibly India’s largest that offered select, hand-picked European wooden flooring brands like Moso, Kahrs, Karelia, Giant, etc. Plan B soon became synonymous with world-class products, quality and service. In the six years that the company participated in AceTech - Asia’s largest exhibition for building materials, Plan B won the “Most Innovative Wooden Flooring Company” twice.

“We were accepted and applauded for our work,” explains Adesh, “because we never compromised on our offering be it products, after sales service or customer relationship.” Plan B boasts of having worked with some of India’s top architects and designers including many celebrities.

Having set a rock solid milestone in the industry, it was time to move ahead. It was around the same time that Havwoods International was looking for worthy partners to mark their entry into India. Based in the United Kingdom, Havwoods International has a global presence with a network of showrooms across four continents. For their foray into India, they were on the lookout for a company that reflected their set of values.

It was the meeting of similar minds. It fit.

Aashish describes his strategy as “Find a gap and fix it”. The wooden flooring industry in India is not very organized and professional. What is needed is a strong, grounded approach to convert this staunch stone flooring market into wood. This is the gap that will be addressed by Havwoods International, Mumbai. A sprawling 5000 sq. ft. showroom located in the Interior Design district of South Mumbai is the answer. Over 300 shades in real wood flooring are displayed and shown off proudly in an ambient and pleasant setting. Large sample planks and detailed catalogues with the latest trends, techniques, colours and concepts in addition to the trained staff help clients make informed decisions.

“The showroom has been designed keeping in mind the appeal of the company globally, hence we decided to give this showroom a similar look and feel. Considering the Indian weather, it was a difficult task but we Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

just couldn’t compromise. We made the use of best suitable materials like copper and wood, and the result is right in front of you. The showroom is more of an experience, where you can actually see how our products would look like on the floor or walls.” Added Mr. Amit Jhadhav, Principle Designer, JAD Studios who was handed the task of designing the interior of the showroom.

Havwoods International is one of the leading players in the global market with four decades of expertise in hardwood. It boasts of an impressive clientele like Harrods, Breitling, Harley Davidson, Paul Smith, Jamie Oliver, Marks & Spencer, Nando’s etc. The India chapter will benefit tremendously from this experience and expertise. The plan is to test the waters in Mumbai first and then on to the other metros. The wooden flooring market in India is still developing with a fantastic potential ahead. As a customer base, Indians are partial to marble and ceramic tiles. This mindset is slowly changing. Wooden flooring is now considered as a classy new option and also a status symbol. This paradigm shift has opened up our audience to considering using wood flooring extensively.

Earlier it was restricted only to the bedroom but now designers as well as the end users are more confident of laying wooden flooring in living areas as well. This will directly affect the demand for wooden flooring. The stage is set. Going forward, we are looking at establishing a pan-India presence and emerging as a strong wooden flooring brand. Havwoods International has one of the world’s largest collections of real wood flooring with new additions every quarter. We are offering international quality products and services that will cater to any and every design and budget parameter.

We have been seen as a company that always beings something new and exciting to the table. And we are not going to disappoint. You got a floor to cover? We have wood!

For further information, contact: Havwoods International Block No. 30/32,Shree Laxmi Woolen Mills Estate, Shakti Mills Lane, Off Dr. E Moses road, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai - 400011.

Phone: 022 2493 8633/ 022 6637 0382 Web: www.havwoods.in

EXPLORE

VOL 30 (11) | JULY 2017 | ` 200 | MUMBAI RNI REGISTRATION NO. 46976/87, ISSN 0971-5509 INDIAN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER

Chairman & Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah Printer, Publisher & Chief Executive Officer: Hemant K Shetty Writers: Sharmila Chakravorty, Sahiba Gulati Email:iabedt@jasubhai.com Design: Mansi Chikani Subscription: Dilip Parab, Prakash Powar Production Team: V Raj Misquitta (Head), Prakash Nerkar

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PRODUCT Information of state-of-art products, from across the globe, which are slick, contemporary and innovative.

ARCHITECTURE A Cultural Revival The Kulm Eispavillon designed by Foster + Partners has emerged in design as an extension of the street.

SALES Brand Manager: Sudhanshu Nagar Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com

ArcelorMittal Orbit The artist Anish Kapoor and Dr Cecil Balmond OBE joined forces to design a landmark tower for the London Olympics 2012.

Mumbai Parvez Memon Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001.

Tel: + 91-22-4037 3636, Fax: +91-22-4037 3635 Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

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Modern Architecture of Baku Ramiz Abdulrahimov & Karimova Aygul highlights about Baku, the capital of Republic of Azerbaijan as a center of new style of modernism.

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Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai Redesigned by Morphogenesis, the project has perfectly balanced the conservation with the contemporary.

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Crafting a landscape for learning The Axis Pramiti School by The Purple Ink Studio blurs the stereotypical distinction between the classroom and the outdoor activity area.

SUSTAINABILITY 56 A local response to climate change

Kaza Eco-Community Centre designed by Auroville Earth Institute

uses Vernacular techniques with low-tech innovations.

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Head Office: JMPL, Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001.

Tel: + 91-22-4037 3636, Fax: +91-22-4037 3635

Embracing Traditional Ideologies Chaukor Studio has designed Minaret House that goes back to traditional practices for addressing the challenges of the local climate and context.

INTERIORS 68 Reflecting the Brand

The interiors of Office for Nando’s, Gurugram accurately mirror the core

values, the ethos and of course, its strategic objectives.

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Heydar Aliyev Center American white oak helps to achieve seamless spatial flow in Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center

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ACADEMIA Baroque Style An appreciation of the Baroque style of architecture and in churches constructed in Goa and Bangalore.

Cover Image: © Foster + Partners

MARKETING TEAM & OFFICES

Delhi: Chitra Sharma, Sukesh Singh, Suman Kumar 803, Chiranjeev Tower, No 43, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110 019 Tel: +91 11 2623 5332, Fax: 011 2642 7404 Email: chitra_sharma@jasubhai.com sukesh_singh@jasubhai.com suman_kumar@jasubhai.com Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Gujarat: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: +91 9833104834, Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Chennai / Coimbatore: Princebel M Mobile: +91 9444728035, +91 9823410712, Email: princebel_m@jasubhai.com Kolkata: Sudhanshu Nagar Mobile: +91 9833104834, Email: sudhanshu_nagar@jasubhai.com Pune: Parvez Memon Mobile: +91 9769758712, Email: parvez_memon@jasubhai.com

Indian Architect & Builder: (ISSN 0971-5509), RNI No 46976/87, is a monthly publication.

Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or any other language is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, but do not accept responsibility for contributions lost in the mail.

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Editor: Maulik Jasubhai Shah, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021.

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industry news

GINJOE MBIU – An Innovative Inspection and Maintenance System G

emini Power Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd. has taken initiative under Make in India campaign for manufacturing ‘Ginjoe Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit (MBIU)’ Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit is indispensable for carrying out the bridge inspection and maintenance tasks. It is a versatile and efficient machine, built on a reliable Indian cabin chassis without there being any need to modify the chassis. It is designed to provide a safe, quick and reliable system of access to those structures where setting up scaffolding is not viable. Ginjoe only takes a few minutes to launch from the rest position to the work position even without personnel on board. After initial launching maneuvers are completed, operators can easily descend on the platform through the provided protected access. There are thousands of old bridges in the country many of which are in dilapidated state needing immediate repairs. Therefore such a special purpose vehicle can only be termed as the need of the hour. Currently other machines are available from imported sources but same at a hefty price. However due to the high cost of imported spare parts and poor availability of service facilities most of these imported units are lying idle. Gemini Power Hydraulics Pvt. Ltd, well known for providing work saving solutions to the industry well ahead of time, first in the country to supply such indigenously manufactured MBIUs matching in specifications at price suitable for the Indian market. As these units are built on Indian vehicle chassis, the after sales service support and the spare parts are easily available. These MBIUs are built under Technology Transfer Licence from CSIR-CRRI. The CRRI design is a basic electro-mechanical one, but Gemini has improved on the basic model by incorporating a hydraulic-mechanical design for better reliability and safety. This change as well as other features that have been incorporated makes the product several notches above the basic model. Gemini Engineers and Consultants after studying, analyzing and taking user feedback, took it upon themselves as a challenge to deliver a product which is technologically superior, more reliable and safer.

Within a short span of period, Gemini has successfully supplied two units, both of which are operating daily with satisfactory results. This was only because the units were thoroughly tested in the factory as well as trial runs were conducted on bridges before they were dispatched to the customer. Three Models are available – Ginjoe – 10, Ginjoe – 12 and Ginjoe – 15 having under-bridge horizontal platform span of 10, 12 & 15 meters respectively. Mast Lowering Depth for all models is 8 meters.

We can provide Mobile Bridge Inspection Unit to suit site conditions and as per customer requirement. We are constant researching and developing more models and configurations to provide to the Indian market. Our latest products include ‘Bucket Type’ configuration as well

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

as a new ‘Towable’ model. This model does not require a chassis to mount the equipment and can be towed by any existing vehicle. It is designed to be smaller, lighter weight and compact. Best suited for smaller bridges with lesser load bearing capacity.

Other Salient Features of the MBIU: • Ergonomic design and Assist in quick repair • Easy trouble shooting and maintenance • Wind monitor and alarm • Multiple Interlocks for added safety • Dedicated Power Supply – DG Set • Compressor Unit for operating maintenance tools and general cleaning.

• Sensors for monitoring stability • Dedicated Remote PLC box & Remote Access Controls • Security and CCTVs monitoring • Automatic alarm and emergency cut-off system • Remote diagnostic system for trouble shooting.

For further information, contact: Gemini Power Hydraulics Pvt Ltd. Address: Gemini House, Bus Depot Lane, Deonar, Mumbai - 400 088. India.

Tel.: (022) 6681 9999 Fax: (022) 6681 9988 Email:info@geminiindia.com Website: www.geminiindia.com

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industry news

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Metrika Presents Futuristic Modular Solutions

M

etrika, one of the leading names in kitchen industry has revolutionized cooking in India and made it a lifestyle experience.

It has always stood out for its commitment of offering smart kitchens to today’s generation making it a perfect blend of technology and luxury.

In the year 2016, Mr. Vasant Vasudeo - MD of Metrika was honored with the Kitchen Retailer Award at Indian Kitchen Congress in the standalone category. Having installed ample kitchens, Metrika has specialized in the field of modular kitchens like none other.

We endeavour to improve continuously on productivity, timeliness & responsiveness in all aspects of operations to ensure competitiv eness on a global level.

Having installed ample kitchens, Metrika has specialized in the field of modular kitchens like none other. With the industry expanding, Metrika recognizes the need to develop and strengthen relations with all partners in order to deliver products specially designed to meet the demanding Indian consumer needs and taste. Our USP is that we customize our designs according to the client needs and their price points and inherent expertise of Metrika in understanding the requirements of its customer & providing best solutions to them. To put it down simply, we don’t offer what we make, we offer what the customer wants.

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

Metrika has its experience center located in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad which offers finest design and international quality for upliftment of your lifestyle. As a Futuristic Modular Solution provider, Metrika is your partner, helping transform your home into spaces of comfort, elegance and efficiency.

Our Capabilities • 25,000 Sq. feet manufacturing facility and storage unit.

• High-tech/precision/technology of manufacturing setup.

• 90+ employee driven company.

• We have strong in-house support system from operations and design center.

• Design and technical is associated with Aster Cucine Italy.

• 7000 + installed kitchens

For further information, contact: Head Office: Synergy Business Park, Unit No. 103, Sahakarwadi Vishveshwar Rd, Off. Aarey Rd, Goregaon (E), Mumbai - 400 063.

Tel: +91-22-29271103/ 29271104, +91-7738392159 Email: metrika@metrika.in Web: www.metrika.in

industry news

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S series-the Collection of Premium Hardware for Luxury Interiors from Ozone!

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Door Installation with S series Hydraulic Hinges.

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O

zone, the leading brand in Architectural Hardware & Security segment, launches S Series- the Premium Architectural Hardware Collection for plush interiors. Each fitting in S Series is crafted with utmost perfection, superior finish and built with excellent engineering to match with modern exquisite interiors requirements of awe-inspiring aesthetics, smart solutions and exceptional user experience.

The premium S series from Ozone offers an array of solutions such as Sliding Door Systems in automatic or manual configurations, Patch Fittings & Hydraulic Bottom Patch loaded with patented door closing technology, Shower Cubicle Fittings, Soft Close Hydraulic Hinges, Glass Door Locks with magnetic strike plate for noiseless door closing and Hotel Guest Room Door Locks compatible with ORACLE OPERA/HMS. An exclusive Premium plus Automatic Sliding Door System is introduced in Door Solutions collection from S Series- this new door system come in compact extra slim body with intelligent controller for noiseless enduring performance. Designed with adjustable parameters, it can be applied for single or bi-parting door installations and integrated with different types of access control devices like microwave sensor, PIR sensor & is in compliance with EN norms for low energy operating standards hence is an energy efficient solution. A retrofit autoglide Sliding Door System is also provided from this newly launched premium S series which allows converting any existing manual sliding door to Autoglide Door without any amendment in the existing installation. Suitable

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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Soft Close Sliding Door.

Premium Plus Automatic Sliding Door.

for residential applications this retro fit autoglide system can be integrated with all access control devices. High end manual sliding door systems with soft close feature in elegant and slim design are also offered for office door applications. All these newly launched door systems come with EN certification and are suitable to apply for office, kitchen, living room & pocket doors.

With launch of the S series of Premium Hardware Fittings & Systems, Ozone is raising the bar for architecture and interior professionals who demand distinction beyond excellence. These distinctive premium quality products are made with superior grade material, offer enhanced functionality, highly durable, manufactured following higher testing standards and are certified as per international norms applicable.

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Inside view of Premium Plus Automatic Sliding Door.

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Retrofit System.

For further information, contact: please call +91 9310012300 or email at ozone@ozone-india.com for representative visit or brochures.

Visit www.ozone-india.com to know more.

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Mr. Vijay Wadhwa – On Design Principles and Buildings InConversation with Mr. Vijay Wadhwa – Chairman, The Wadhwa Group discussing his recent experience as the first speaker representing the developer community at 361 Degree Design Conference’2017 edition. On what makes the Wadhwa Group’s buildings stand out and future of architecture education.

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Prabhadevi Building

1. In your presentation you had mentioned about the design principles your firm followed while building any project; will you elaborate on it?

The Wadhwa Group is acknowledged for creating state-of-theart buildings for over 48 years. Credibility is our motto backed by professional expertise in each area of building design. Our buildings are always designed ‘inside out’. We truly follow the famous architectural quote ‘form follows function’.

Wadhwa group’s design philosophy is ‘Light, height and Air’.

Every space must allow maximum penetration of natural light. It must be equally ventilated with air / wind moving naturally across the rooms or passages. Structure should be design to enhance clear Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

soffits within the rooms / apartments expressing more height.

2. The design discipline to succeed requires a formidable idea of the ground reality; how important is to retain practicality over emotions?

Design is a continuously evolving process. It comes with a context of site, user, budget and many such parameters. The group understands that a home is a warm space for comfort and relaxation amidst luxurious surroundings. It is extremely important that we do justice to these parameters. Is there a point in building a structure where the person staying inside is not going to be happy?

Every element of the building must be purposeful and conceived practically. Simply making something ‘iconic’ will not be long lasting.

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and think ‘out of the box’. Study programs should compel students to be innovative at every step. This will help them become a ‘Practical Architect’. In the realm of designing; purpose must exceed emotions attached to the design.

7. What are the new projects to roll out from the Wadhwa Group?

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The Capital - BKC’S

3. In dealing with architects from India and other nationalities; what difference you feel is required for architects & design professionals to design a good building?

Architectural practice by and large is very different in India and overseas. There is a great talent available on both sides. Overseas architects may have dealt in scales which may be much larger due to size of projects abroad. But while they design here they must respect our social context, climatic conditions etc. Indian context of design is surrounded by a lot of issues related which are regulatory, execution and economics. The design sensitivity which is directly proportional to the market premium offered by client is at nascent stage; often this gets overlooked when international architects are designing. The other challenge is engineering and construction aspect. All this has to operate in the gamut of operation efficiency and profit.

New projects are happening in the residential market segment with different price points. We are always open to new opportunities.

We are fortunate that our legacy has always got us good projects. The group is one of the Mumbai’s leading real estate companies and is currently developing residential and commercial projects spread across approximately 1.4 million square meters (15 million square feet). Timely completion of projects coupled with strong planning and design innovation gives the group an edge over its competitors.

8. As the first speaker representing builder community at 361 Degree Design Conference’2017; how would you sum up you experience?

There is great learning for all of us with every project we do.

Builders should not see only the elevation. Focus on detailing in every stage of planning is extremely important.

The conference draws the design community spread across age and geography from all over India. It was interesting to feel the vibe and be part of the design journey initiated a decade ago. The conference was a great learning experience and my sincere warm regards to entire team of 361 Degrees and the senior Management.

4. You have stressed on unfashionable areas like MEP, washroom height and its views, staircase height and length; should designers inculcate the acumen of these important things from designing stage?

MEP is heart of any building. If one focuses simply on façade and form of a building without an efficient MEP design the building will never be able to function. Focus on MEP services, energy efficient measures should be on the Design architect’s agendas from day one.

It’s the nervous system of the building and has to operate flawlessly throughout the life cycle of the building. In times of emergency; MEP is crucial for the security of the occupants and the assets.

5. How has been your experience with the architect interns fresh from college?

Fresh graduates always bring innovative ideas and radical thoughts.

We must encourage the young talent. We must help them achieve their ideas by moulding the same in practical designs. They are future architects of India. However there is a radical shift required in education in giving skill set rather than theory to students.

6. What will be your suggestion for the changes in architecture education?

It is important that students and budding architects focus on detailing

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Platina - BKC’S Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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Concrete Audio Timeless Elegance and Impressive Dynamics Text & Images: Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd

W

e present a groundbreaking and innovatie audio speaker system from Concrete Audio whose sound will delight both purists and audiophiles alike. An ideal combinationof plain concrete and state of the art interiors results into an exceptionalhigh-end loudspeaker, was specifially developed for those who seek both unrivaled purity and clarity in sound resonance and for those that adhere to an exclusive ‘audiophile-class’ lifestyle.

The Concrete Audio is exclusively distributed and installed by ATPL in India.

Principal Designer: Frank Nebel

Model Name :

Wall mounted F1 speaker

Contact: sales@anushagroup.com Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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products

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M-Petal Vector Projects brings petal inspired M-Petal chair to India Text & Images: Vector Projects (I) Pvt. Ltd.

A

esthetics instill a longing impression in any modern surrounding.

Be it work or home, spaces today are designed to be functional yet appealing. Trends no longer let furniture remain an element of requirement, it is an equally important tool to spice up one’s space.

Bearing this shift in trend in mind, Vector Projects, a leading turnkey solutions provider in the country, introduces India to a new range of lounge chair – M-Petal.

Inspired by petals, the chair resembles a blooming flower, providing full support and stability to one’s body. The five independent petals of the design are in a moulded foam and fabric cushioning, making it appear visually attractive & elegant. Crafted with an amalgamation of classic and long-lasting innovation, M-Petal has solid wooden legs, adding in a subtle charm of nature in the product. The product uses North American ash wood & is available in three colours - dark ash, middle ash and light ash color. The fabric for soft upholstery can be customized and selected from the seven different fabric series. Each fabric series is available in a wide colour range; thus, providing one an option to meet their aesthetic standard. Beautiful to look at and sit in, M-Petal is comfortable, classic and luxurious. It breaks away from the monotonous surrounding, making it suitable for indoors, lounge arrangements, public waiting area or private office.

Contact: www.vectorprojectsindia.com

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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The pavilion opening into the street and bringing people in.

Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

architecture

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A Cultural Revival Kulm Eispavillon

The Kulm Eispavilion designed by Foster + Partners has emerged in design as an extension of the street, establishing a necessary connection between the daily life of the community and its historical spirit as a place of celebration, sports, skating and the sun.

Text: Sahiba Gulati Drawings & Images: Foster + Partners, Nigel Young

Architect’s Note: The restoration of the old eispavillon and the new extension seek to re-establish Kulm Park as the social focus of this part of the town, providing a new destination for visitors and residents of the Engadin valley alike.

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n St. Mortiz in Switzerland, the erstwhile eispavilion of Kulm Park had fallen into disrepair. The new Kulm Pavilion was born out of the idea that this pavilion that had hosted the 1928 and 1948 winter Olympics needed to again become a place that society and the community would reclaim as their own in this part of the town.

An expression of welcoming people within itself, the pavilion opens towards the street and stands proud. The cantilever extending out, sheltering from rain and snow while allowing for the ability to view all around, it becomes a part of the street itself, an extension to the public realm. So, the pavilion goes back to the community as it lets people in, to perform, to celebrate, to reclaim it as their space. The original 1905 eispavilion has been refurbished to how it was originally, accommodating an ice skating rink as its focus;

the new multipurpose pavilion increases its capacity to host events, becoming a mini-stadium of sorts. The old building has been rendered anew with elements that cater to the needs of today- a new club restaurant, patisserie, and sun terrace for visitors and the local Engadin community to enjoy. The new exhibition area on the first level showcases various memorabilia reminiscent of the alpine tradition of the valley, and thus, it also acts as a museum.

The mini-stadium, it is a concert stage; it is located on the northern edge of the Davos Plaun, which forms an ice rink in the winter and a wide lawn for outdoors exhibitions and events in the summer. The annual calendar of sporting and cultural events now makes this mini-stadium as its focus. From medal ceremonies at the Ski World Championships to music festivals and shows of classic cars, the pavilion is set to host them all.

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The pavilion offers abundant views of the mountains.

The new pavilion terminating into the sun canopy.

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The old building has been restored to its original architecture.

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As it has been attempted that the pavilion connect with the life of the local community, its design and construction also emerges from the Engadin tradition of woodcraft. The canopy is a structure of horizontal wooden slats that while cantilevering into the street on one end, extends into a wall that curves around the northern corner of the site, terminating in a smaller sun canopy at the other end. The sun canopy embraces views of the ice skating rink and the surrounding mountains while protecting from the cold winds blowing through the alley.

With the regeneration of the architecture of the historic eispavilion, the historic spirit of the place has also come alive with the celebration of skating, sport and the sun. “The refurbishment is faithful to the original style, preserving the historic features, along with a sympathetically designed ‘Orangerie’ as an indoor-outdoor space with picturesque views of the valley,” says Foster + Partners.

Lord Foster, Executive Chairman and Founder, Foster + Partners explained, “I approached this project not only as an architect, but as a sympathetic resident of St Moritz; to me it was all about bringing the historic structure and the Davos Plaun back to life, to recreate a space for the local community. The restoration of the old eispavillon and the new extension seek to re-establish Kulm Park as the social focus of this part of the town, providing a new destination for visitors and residents of the Engadin valley alike. The new Kulm Eispavillon will be at the heart of the sporting schedule of St Moritz, and will also provide a flexible space for a variety of outdoor events throughout the year, from music concerts to car exhibitions. Using the local tradition of wood, the entire ensemble is designed to be of the place, both in spirit and materials.”

FACT FILE: Project Location Client Architect Collaborating Architect Site Area Project Area Initiation Of Project Completion Of Project

: : : : : : : : :

Kulm Eispavillon St. Moritz, Switzerland Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz Foster + Partners Küchel Architects Ag 120 M² (Kulm Park) 860M² November 2015 January 2017

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ArcelorMittal Orbit The ArcelorMittal Orbit towering over the London Skyline is a 115-metre high observation tower. It is 22-mtrs taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York and offers unparalleled views of the entire 250 acres of the Olympic Park and London’s horizon.

Text: Balmond Studio, London Images, Drawings & Sketches: Balmond Studio

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nish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond joined forces to design a landmark tower for the London Olympics 2012. They wanted a trans-form over the Olympic park that spoke of fragile stabilities and initiated geometries of the nonlinear.

London continues to grow as an emerging force of social and cultural change, and the ArcelorMittal Orbit (Orbit) weaves a metaphor for such a trace. The Orbit is an icon of British culture today – the symbol of the London 2012 Olympic Games broadcast across the globe.

To achieve this vision, Balmond had to engage with, and re-imagine, the very architectural idea of tower. Orbit interacts with a new language of ‘tower’ refusing to adhere to the usual static ascending stereotype. Rather it is an encircling – like the orbit of a planet.

A planet moves in constant motion whirling around a steady path – a stability. The idea for the Orbit is just that. As the Orbit rises to come back down, elaborating a different path each time, a three dimensional network forms. A nexus of steel twists and turns, spreading and intertwining.

But one strand is all there is. The strand actions a pragmatic, changing diameter to meet a stress concern or aesthetic. Each strand could have been circular in section, however if a square cross section exists every 4m and rotates by 45 degrees successively, the strand then begins to look like rope; its edge profile going in and out, zigzagging. This was a crucial aesthetic undermining the solidarity of the travelling line.

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Balmond has described the ArcelorMittal Orbit as a “narrative in space” that “stretches the language of the icon.”

Paradoxically, there is a vulnerability to the concept. Orbit is something stable, yet transient. It moves, wrapping around itself to create the distances apart needed for equilibrium. When the ‘trace’ overlaps, it connects up structure.

The visitor is initially hooded. Within a part of the strand that widens, the ride up the elevator accelerates. The coiling structure rises outside bringing the base datum to mind. The ground is not left behind. At the top a large hole cuts out the center of the platforms and opens back down to the ground. Two concave mirrors, at the sides of the upper gallery, bring the horizon into the interior inverted against a visitor’s reflection.

It took essentially four men to build the Orbit. A crane driver, two fitters on the platform of the cherry picker and a ground controller, who between themselves put in place each four meter section to connect the strands of the trajectory. No propping. Each section changed the alignment, locally, until the final geometry was reached.

The form talks of a dark journey and vaulting strength. Against that a tale of vertiginous journeys from ground to sky and back. Like Ariadne’s line of hope in a labyrinth, one thread binds all, winding its way from los to discovery. The revelation is not just an Orbit for the Olympics but for a modern London and its evolving contemporary.

FACT FILE: Client Main Contractor Design team Height Material Budget Location Completion Program

: ArcelorMittal & Greater London Authority : Sir Robert McAlpine : Artists - Anish Kapoor & Cecil Balmond; Engineering - ARUP; Consulting Architects - Ushida Findlay Architects : 114.5m : 1,500 tonnes of steel (57% recycled), 35,000 bolts and 19,000 litres of red RAL 3003 paint. : £22.7million : London, U.K. : May 2012 : Public Art Sculpture

The ArcelorMittal Orbit is the tallest sculpture in the UK. It can receive up to 770 visitors per hour, 5,000 visitors a day.

2 indoor 300 m2 platforms offer dramatic views of London’s skyline over 20 miles into the distance.

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Ramiz Abdulrahimov is a Doctor of Architecture, a professor at the Architectural Design and Restoration of Architectural Monuments Faculty of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction. Honored worker of the National Graduate School, laureate of the National Award of Azerbaijan, academician of the International Academy of Architecture of Eastern Countries, member of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, member of the European Society of Acoustics - Architects, academician of the International Ecoenergy Academy. He published more than 25 books and study guides. 85 objects are projected by him in different countries of the world.

He has 105 published articles. In 2016, by the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, he was awarded a personal presidential retirement allowance for his services in the development of Azerbaijani architecture.

Karimova Aygul was born in Baku in 1991. From an early age she was interested in architecture and art. After graduating from school in the Russian Federation, in 2009 she entered the Architecture Faculty of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction. Receiving bachelorhood with honors in 2013, she was admitted to the Master’s program in the specialty of Restoration of Architectural Monuments. In 2015, after taking the master’s degree excellently, she entered a doctorate in the specialty “Urban planning, design of residential areas and landscape architecture”.

She has completed certification of the Harvard University on «Architectural imagination». She is also a member of the Azerbaijan Union of Architects. In 2015, she took part in the implementation of the Baku Congress Center project. Currently she is conducting research in the field of sustainable architecture of Baku city, supervised by the Doctor of Architecture, Professor Ramiz Abdulrahimov.

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Modern Architecture of Baku The world-famous architects along with local architects have made Baku , the capital of Republic of Azerbaijan as a center of new style of modernism, using national motives, classics and even industrialism.

Text & Image Courtesy: Ramiz Abdulrahimov, Karimova Aygul

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aku is the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan and one of its promising cities. Since the second half of the XIX century, in connection with the exploration of the first oil fields, Baku held a specific place among the large industrial and economic cities of the world. Another feature giving a great impetus to the economic and commercial development of the city is its location near the Caspian Sea. The end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries was formed as a period of intensive development of architecture in Baku. New houses, schools, hospitals, administrative buildings, etc. were built.

The next stage in the development of architecture can be considered the period since the end of the XX century. Even during the period of the Soviet power, 70-80th years of the last century were inextricably associated with the name of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

After his rise to power, Azerbaijan was completely modernized in

all spheres, in particular in the field of industry and construction.

A special attention was paid to the construction of large-scale industrial enterprises, residential and public buildings. Heydar Aliyev was a supporter and initiator of the use of national motives in the architecture of Azerbaijan.

Economic growth in the country has completely affected the city image.

Ilham Aliyev, well-deserved successor of Heydar Aliyev, played a major role in further prosperity of our country. Since 2005, large-scale construction works have been carried out in Baku. The world-famous architects were invited here, along with local architects. New buildings in the style of modernism are being built using national motives, classics and even industrialism. To improve the image of the capital, special events are held. The facades of old buildings are being restored, amenities of residential areas, parks, etc. are being provided.

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Š C ultural Center of Heydar Aliyev.

One of the main examples, being the new symbol of Azerbaijan is the Cultural Center of Heydar Aliyev . The building was designed by the famous modern architect Zaha Hadid. The undulated shapes of the facade resemble the waves of the Caspian Sea, continuing into infinity. The building looks like as if it comes out of the earth and aspires to the sky. Dynamic composition distinguishes it among urban buildings, and white color makes it very light and elegant. The internal space is similar to the stream pulling into the distant future.

The interiors are stylistically closely related to the appearance of the building itself, creating the integrity of the entire Cultural Center. The building consists of an auditorium, a museum, an exhibition hall and administrative offices. In 2014, the building received a prize as the best building in the world.

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Š Baku Congress Center.

The Baku Congress Center, located on the left of the Cultural Center of Heydar Aliyev, has a specific composition . In contrast to the smooth forms of the Cultural Center, the Congress Center has a more symmetrical shape both from the plan and from the facade. The main feature is the world’s biggest screen inside the building, located in a room, the area of which is 405 m2. The Congress Center is equipped with all kinds of modern technologies. There is an auditorium in the center with a capacity of 3,500 people, and 15 conference halls along the perimeter, most of which have mobile partitions to increase or decrease their area. The building was designed by COOP HIMMELB (L) AU Wolf D. Prix & Partner ZT GmbH; the architect of the project was Martin Jelinek. Construction was started in 2014, and completed in 2015.

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© Baku - “Flame Towers”.

Baku is a “city of fire”. Baku is a “city of fire”. Inspired by this, the architects of the HOK Company designed skyscrapers in 2013, which are another symbol of Baku - “Flame Towers”, consisting of three parts: the hotel, business center and apartments . The building is located on the elevated part of the city and is one of the highest buildings of Azerbaijan. It reaches 140 meters in height, thus getting an all-round view from different points.

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A distinctive feature is the evening lights, which are built into the upper transoms of inter-floor glazing of buildings, called the LED panels. They create fiery patterns on the facades or other effects of light. In 2014, it was called the best skyscraper of the world. The use of the highest technologies and energy efficiency of the whole complex helped in getting the GREEN ZOOM certificate in 2017, which gives the right to call this building a “Green” one.

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Š Socar Tower.

The highest skyscraper in Baku is SOCAR TOWER (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) located on one of the city’s main avenues .

The construction was started in 2010 and completed in 2016. As the leaders of this project, Heerim Architects & Planners took into account all climatic features of the capital. The building is constructed of a steel structure which is stable at 190 km/hr wind speed, and 9.0 earthquake. The general composition expresses the interweaving of fire and wind. The SOCAR TOWER building was awarded the nomination as the best high-rise building in 2016.

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© The Crescent Development Project.

The next project of Heerim Architects & Planners Company from Korea, being in the process now, is “The Crescent Development Project” . First, the project consisted of six skyscrapers, but in 2009 it was decided to leave three of them: the hotel “Crescent”, the high-rise business center (“Crescent City”) and the high-rise residential building with a shopping and entertainment platform (“Crescent Place”). The future seven-star hotel has the shape of a Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

crescent, is located at a distance of 100 meters from the shore, and will also be one of the symbols of Azerbaijan. The whole project stands on metal piles with a diameter of up to 2 m and a length of 76.1 m. The highest skyscraper is a business center with a height of 203 m in 43 floors, a residential building of 170 m in 35 floors and a 166 m hotel in 37 floors. Also, the project provides a three-story parking lot below sea level.

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© White City.

The largest work of Azerbaijan is the project of the “White City”, designed for 50 thousand people. The eastern territory of Baku at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries was built by oil companies. It was called the Black City (Pic. 6). The territory was heavily polluted by various oil refineries. After measures taken, such as clearing land from pollution, demolition of useless industrial buildings, as well as the improvement of the entire territory, the future development of this area has got a great chance. Along with Azerbaijani architects, three foreign companies participated in the project: Atkins (UK), Fosters+Partners and F+A Architects. The project consists of residential buildings, business and community

centers, recreational areas, etc. It is also worth noting that one of the office buildings of the White City was BREAM certified, and is the first “Green” building in Azerbaijan.

The modern architecture of Baku is developing according to the approved general plan, taking into account the principles of sustainability. The above mentioned examples of the public buildings of different purpose have received relevant foreign certificates confirming their sustainability. The relief of the city, exposing itself in the form of an amphitheater towards the sea, effectively emphasizes the architectural composition of the above mentioned buildings and yields an unusual flavor to the city.

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Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai Balancing Conservation with the Contemporary.

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Defaced and mismatched facades aptly represent the state of the building on the inside too.

Original heritage features like rafters had been covered over.

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Top floor converted to an AV room with all heritage features panelled over.

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Lift shaft inserted into the original stairwell, and stairs narrowed down.

An additional floor slab inserted by scooping out part of the ground floor.

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he Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai is a four-level gallery that sits in a century old building in Kala Ghoda, a lively and historic precinct of Mumbai. After decades of neglect, the area is undergoing a cultural revival based on the architectural richness of its colonial past, with most buildings here undergoing adaptive reuse and regeneration. Kala Ghoda has emerged as a prominent arts precinct and the cultural hub of Mumbai.

The client being a successful gallery owner with an appreciation of the creative mindset, enabled complete flexibility and freedom to craft a space that would manifest itself as a corpus of both Traditional and Contemporary Art. Inheriting a site that was something in between a cellphone repair shop and an old run-down warehouse, this particular building was so mutilated that one could almost not recognize its colonial heritage. The space bore resemblance to a sweat shop with the foundation having been scooped out to allow extra floors to be cast, and with windows that had been boarded up.

The challenge was to restore and to recreate the heritage value, but not imitate in an anachronistic way. Taking cues from the patterns and materiality of other well-preserved surrounding buildings and research on Colonial Architecture, an Adaptive Reuse approach was adopted to

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Original motif on entrance column was replicated and used in the iron grill pattern on windows and in roof supports.

achieve the right balance. Altering and reinstating the heritage value of the project, an old paragon has been adapted to a contemporary usagean Art Gallery, which by its very function needs to be minimalist.

The gallery showcases art works on the ground and first floors while the other two levels host the gallery’s permanent collection, a sculpture courtyard cum auditorium, private lounges and gallery offices. On stripping the layers added over time, the original structural details revealed themselves- walls, slabs, rafters – all needing restoration and intervention with care . The exterior almost went through reconstructive surgery after years of defacing were peeled off. Taking inspiration from the original wrought iron and stucco that remained, through an investigative design process, motifs were borrowed and extrapolated from the surrounding buildings- floral, yet arranged in geometric and rhythmic patterns. In keeping with the heritage spirit, signage- a modern day necessity was deftly interwoven into the details. One of the two building facades was originally bare, with almost no decorative elements. Pilasters were recreated to unify the two facades, cleverly concealing and embedding services within them.

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Gallery space maximised through moveable partitions which also lend a dynamic character to the space.

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↑Rafters exposed and design styles unified.

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↑Lift was removed and space expanded, restoring the stairwell to its original glory.

tight staircases. Structurally, the building’s proximity to the sea meant that subterranean water was rising through the building, creating damp and termite ridden walls. The ceilings within were made at two separate points in time, each with a different construction methodology. Both were rafters, one in stone and the other in wood. To unify the two styles, expose them, as they talk of the building’s history, was a design challenge that was successfully addressed. The spacious stairwell has been restored to is past glory by removal of the relatively recently inserted lift shaft, and is now a bright, airy sculptural element of the gallery. Shortage of space has been addressed through doubling the wall space by partitioning each floor, yet retaining daylight and the desired scale.

context, where there is little documentation and archival processes, the design positions itself in a novel manner in an extraordinary, antique environment. The DAG Mumbai now stands prominently at the charrasta at Kala Ghoda, juxtaposed with the amazing Blue Synagogue across it, setting new exemplars for the rejuvenating of derelict historic districts in Urban India.

Over a period of time, the building had lost its primary design intent, and it was impossible to identify the original. The design intervention attempts to come close to the restoration of its original guise by means of preservation of the original elements. Shifting away from the archetypal restoration approach, the Delhi Art Gallery has been re-designed as an exemplar process of discovery, where conversation meets investigation and clever augmentation to craft a uniquely Indian experience in the creative domain. Sited uniquely in the Indian

Additional floor inserted recently removed to make way for an expansive volume with tall ceilings, a signature of Mumbai’s colonial.

FACT FILE: Project Name : Typology : Location : Completion Year : Client : Built-up Area : Credentials :

Photography : Consultants :

Contractors :

DAG Modern, Mumbai Institutional Kala Ghoda , Mumbai October 2013 Delhi Art Gallery 7,000 Sq.Ft Morphogenesis Design Team: Sonali Rastogi Neelu Dhar Rohit Sharma Sumeet Kumar Deepshikha Jain Plumbing: MJ Consultant Electrical: MJ Consultant HVAC: MJ Consultant DCA Workshop Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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Crafting a landscape for learning Breaking away from conventional school-building design typology, The Axis Pramiti School in Bengaluru by The Purple Ink Studio blurs the stereotypical distinction between the classroom and the outdoor activity area, thus emphasizing on an all-round education within a nature-infused setting that encourages interactive learning.

Text: Sharmila Chakravorty Images: Shamanth Patil J Drawings: The Purple Ink Studio

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Process & Design Evolution - Classroom.

Process & Design Evolution - Admin + Library.

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esign is everywhere. Right from the homes we live in, the cities, the towns or villages we inhabit, the structures that accommodate our work places, the retail outlets where we shop… the list can go on endlessly. Every aspect of our life is thus surrounded by a careful orchestration of designed spaces, one that surely holds the potential of shaping our personal aesthetic preferences in one way or another.

Outside of their families, schools are the only places where young children learn to socially interact, learn about the world beyond their homes, and learn about people beyond their families. At the beginning of an academic year, the school complex is an unfamiliar space; children learn eventually to adapt and adjust to this space having spent most of their time there. This experience, in the long run, helps them adjust and adapt, learning to tread the potentially endless unfamiliar spaces they will encounter in future. This probably is why more and more emphasis is being paid to the design of schools these days; and rightly so.

The Axis Pramiti School’s programmatic values encourage breaking away from the standard scholastic teaching system. Mirroring this, the school’s architectural design too goes beyond the typical classrooms and playgrounds distinction, combining them together to create a classroom with an integrated breakout space; the design infuses nature into its scheme effortlessly. The school sits on a steep sloping site which has several existing trees. The architects saw it as an ideal setting for the school, much like Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan – the naturecentred open school. With this as the point of departure, the architects designed the school as a safe, close-knit yet flexible premise that encourages interaction – interpersonal as well as with nature. The school has a conventional administrative hierarchy for ease of functioning, but the learning spaces and activity areas are where the architects excel in designing. These spaces foster and encourage interpersonal interaction between the students amidst a nature-infused setting.

One such recently completed school in Bengaluru is a testament of this bent of thinking. Designed by The Purple Ink Studio, the Axis Pramiti school building, for its students, is an intriguing space, full of possibilities and discovery. To the children, at first glance, the almost woven-looking brickwork can seem like a portal to a world beyond the mundane everyday.

The design process for the classrooms shows an interesting evolution of form. Starting from joint and stacked spaces, then moving into blocks with breakout spaces, the final organization incorporates an outdoor court for each classroom. This outdoor space enables the extension of the indoor spaces, blurring the inside-outside distinction, for additional activities or to accommodate more students. Similarly, the orientation

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of these classrooms is such that the ones occupied through most part of the day get enough natural ventilation and light, yet cut out the sun to be comfortable.

The lower administrative floors and the facilities for additional activities like the Laboratories, AV rooms and art classes on the upper floors are connected with a series of inner courts that are extendable into outdoor learning areas. These blend to become a green corridor where students can have chance encounters, and interact in a natural Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

environment. Overall, the school has an organic feel with abundant natural light highlighting the exposed walls and ceilings, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadows. Sudden bursts of colour – the blue and red doors, the red bricks, the blue sky, the green tree – contrast starkly with the concrete grey, arresting attention. Of course, more colour would have been welcome given that the spaces will be inhabited by children, but the architects’ restrained use of colour is perhaps for the best. The focus is on the school and its students, not the architecture.

The blank greys of the school walls can perhaps help to open up students’

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The Admin Block.

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Main Staircase Lobby.

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generously in its programme. Similarly, the climatically responsive structure has a considerably reduced dependency on mechanical means of illumination and ventilation, making it an energy-efficient building.

In conclusion, a school building is much more than a set of walls and roofing enclosing a space. It is where young minds are shaped, futures are crafted, and memories are made. Besides social, emotional and cognitive skills, schools impart emotional and ecological intelligence in children.

The design scheme of Axis Pramiti takes all this into consideration to give the students here ample opportunities to learn beyond their mandated curriculums to grow into well-rounded future citizens. As the architects mention, the design breaks away from stereotypical school-building templates, truly embracing the creative enterprise of ‘flexible learning’ – of learning, unlearning, and relearning.

FACT FILE: ↑

Brick Jaali with the skylit Library area.

mental canvases and imagination, and maybe in future, these mental meanderings will find their way onto the grey walls. The design in its entirety creates a natural and productive environment for young minds to learn indoors and outdoors. This is especially pertinent today, given the rampant disregard and disdain to ecological issues. The Axis Pramiti School’s design intentions to offset this are commendable, making its students sensitive to ecological factors by introducing natural elements

Project Name : Design Program : Location : (Original) Site Area : Built Up Area : Year Of Completion : Architecture & Landscape : Design Team :

Client : Photography Credits :

Axis Pramiti School Kanakpura, Bengaluru 1.20 Acres 14,000 Sqft May’2017 The Purple Ink Studio Akshay Heranjal, Nishita Bhatia, Aditi Pai, Jaikumar, Priyanka Bankapur, Nancy James Axis Concepts Construction Pvt Ltd Shamanth Patil J

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A local response to climate change Kaza Eco-Community Centre For the design of the community centre, vernacular techniques have been hybridized with low-tech innovations to improve building performance with a maximum use of local materials.

Text & Images: Lara K. Davis, Auroville Earth Institute Compilation: Sahiba Gulati

Architect’s Note: Kaza Eco-Community Centre designed by the Auroville Earth Institute represents something which is tremendously timely for current debate in the field of architecture: the relevance of climate appropriateness, the impact of global climate change and the value of local constructive cultures and vernacular craft to offset these changes.

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s humankind begins globally to grapple with the incomprehensible reality of climate change, we are forced to acknowledge how shortsighted we have been in evaluating our collective environmental impact. Just as in a valley, we do not see the storm clouds until the storm is upon us. We have to step way back, to see where changing climate is changing the face of how people live, and then assess very carefully how our cultural landscape can be shifted back to a model in which climate plays an integral role in how we shape our physical environments.

in the winter. In summer, daytime temperatures rise as high as +35 ºC accompanied by high altitude UV exposure. Spiti and much of the Himalayas are in fact at the forefront of climate change. Rains have begun to fall in measurable quantities for the first time in recorded history, threatening centuries old constructive methods such as the traditional roofing system and increasing the already compounded risks of snowmelt flooding, landslides and earthquake. Yet vernacular methods, too, have continually evolved and been reinvented in response to changing climates.

At the 2016 United Nations Climate Change conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, a community centre in a remote Himalayan town was awarded 1st place in the ‘Low Carbon’ category for the Green Buildings Solutions Awards. The Kaza Eco-Community Centre, located in the Spiti Valley, is so remote that the town is cut off for many months at a time. Designed and built by the Auroville Earth Institute, in partnership with the Spiti Projects Charity and with key participation of villagers and local craftsmen, the centre was designed to respond to the harsh climate of the region. With a high altitude desert climate above the tree line at 3500 metres, extreme winter conditions and temperatures of -35 ºC make Spiti almost inhabitable

For the design of the community centre, vernacular techniques have been hybridized with low-tech innovations to improve building performance with a maximum use of local materials. With stone masonry foundations and raw rammed earth walls, the raw structure has incorporated numerous earthquake-resistant features, including traditional woven corner reinforcement and an innovative composite ring beam system of compressed stabilised earth blocks. The adaptable formwork system has been reinvented from the vernacular to add buttresses for improved seismic resistance. The ancient rammed earth wall technique, ‘gyang’, with superior thermal mass and hygrothermal properties, has been used to improve indoor climate.

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Rammed earth wall over stone masonry foundation.

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Floor Plan.

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Rammed Earth Walling.

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With subfreezing temperatures and no running water or electricity during the winter months, trombe walls have been introduced to make the building self-sufficient for its heating needs, while other buildings in the valley rely solely on imported wood for heating.

As the valley opens again after the long winter season, we are very happy to celebrate this building, to reflect on the relevance of traditional technologies, and their effectiveness in offering strategies of lowest embodied energy and environmental impact. The technologies proffered by all the climate conventions in the world could not compete with the environmental modesty and frugality of the vernacular. It is these unique constructive cultures in remote areas of the world that are now disappearing at alarming rates. Yet by introducing modest innovation and hybridization of traditional building practices, this centre reinvigorates acceptance of these exemplary living traditions, and demonstrates that the most sustainable, economical and thermally comfortable buildings in this climate may already exist.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect and Builder Client and Contractor Project Area Initiation of Project Completion of Project ↑

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Kaza Eco-Community Centre Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India Auroville Earth Institute The Spiti Projects Charity 580 m² 2013 2015

Trombe Wall Detail.

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Embracing Traditional Ideologies

Minaret House

Chaukor Studio has designed a house that goes back to traditional practices for addressing the challenges of the local climate and context.

Drawings & Images: Chaukor Studio Text: Sahiba Gulati

Architect’s Note: The house is designed through a holistic design process; architectural design of a building is a physical manifestation of the social, cultural, political and geographical patterns of that region. The Minaret house not only embodies the climatic principles but also the social patterns that the architectural heritage offered.

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n the world of today for many people it is hard to imagine living without a holistic dependence on air conditioners and heating systems, especially in areas such as the National Capital Region of India that experiences very hot summers and equally extreme winters. However, with our all embracing or perhaps dependent attitude towards today’s technology, our usage of traditional ideologies had taken a backseat. It was possible to live without air conditioners in an earlier age; were the temperatures considerably lower; were our bodies accustomed and adapted to the heat intake; or were we just more intelligent in our methods of dealing with the situation? There still are thinkers and professionals who wish to take the load that we put on our natural resources off by going back to those traditional ideologies that achieved the desired affects.

One such architectural practice is Chaukor Studio. They have designed a house in Noida that is based on their philosophy of regenerative architecture. In the studio’s own words, “regeneration describes processes that restore, renew and revitalize original source of energy Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

and materials, creates sustainable systems that integrate the needs of society while safekeeping nature’s integrity. We specifically aim at generating holistic building habitats. By integrating traditional formal expressions and design subtleties with present day technologies, we strive to create ecologically sound and elegant building environments.”

The site was surrounded by high density housing development and the house was to be the first residence in the area. It is located adjacent to a large golf course in a plotted development. With this the studio defined it as their priority and responsibility to make the house a strong and defining precursor for all further development that would take place. “With the architectural heritage disappearing rapidly, it has now become crucial to revive it and re-interpret the traditional ideologies to meet the modern day needs. India with its rich architectural heritage offers deep insight in the formation and evolution of physical spaces; this has served as the fundamental part of design process used for the Minaret House.”

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Exterior View.

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Inter-shading facade.

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Detailed Section - Planters.

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Intimate gathering space.

Terrace Parapet Details.

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Interior of Minaret House.

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Varied spatial volumes in public and private area.

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Multi - Functional Family Room.

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Master Bedroom Ceiling (Large).

Over the centuries various techniques for passively cooling buildings in hot-dry climates have been developed. One such technique of a minaret, or a wind tower, whose physical embodiment in buildings was developed in ancient Egypt, has been employed here.

Located centrally, the minaret faces the South-West side with its exposed facade. This causes the air to heat up rapidly inside the tower and therefore, a negative pressure at the top forces the hot air out, creating a continuous flux of air inside the house. Large window openings face green terraces at the front and the golf course at the rear end, allowing cool and clean air to enter all habitable rooms at the periphery. “The forced air circulation created by the Minaret lowers the indoor temperature phenomenally and helps in reducing energy loads.”

Not being a sole perpetuator of this phenomenon, the minaret is accompanied by an intricate building facade that is used to shade exterior walls, thereby reducing heat gain.

The architects have delved further into the traditional manner of building by also reinterpreting traditional social spaces. A distinct character has been provided to public and private zones of the house.

Strict planning and placement of functions and segregated circulation patterns with varied spatial volumes can be seen.

FACT FILE: Project : Location : Architect : Team :

Client : Project Area : Structural Engineer : Acoustics contractors : Automation : Civil contractors : Project Estimate : Initiation of Project : Completion of project :

Minaret House D-11, Sector 128, Jaypee Wishtown, Noida Chaukor studio Nilesh Bansal, Tejashwi Bansal, Manisha Nimish, Tarini Sharma Mr. Mukesh Sharma 8000 sq. ft EBI India Edge acoustics SmartBus AJA Brick & Mortar Co.(P) Ltd. 1.5 Crore October 2014 May 2017

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Reflecting the Brand Office for Nando’s, Gurugram

As office design is being rethought world over, this one presents a simple yet intelligent approach for creating a unique, comfortable and efficient workplace.

Courtesy Text: Sahiba Gulati Drawings & Images: DCA Workshop

Architect’s Note: The interiors of a great office accurately mirror the core values, the ethos and of course, its strategic objectives, while aiming to craft a lively and efficient workspace for the employees. Taking this approach forward, Group DCA designed a creative and conducive workspace in Gurugram for Nando’s, the renowned international food chain.

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Floor Plan.

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CA Workshop is synonymous with developing brand identity through design. The design excellence does not just stop at the front outlets of these brands but rather extends to the back doors as well.

The client brief demanded a dynamic, playful and vibrant space for their young team. Thus, the design breaks away from the monotony of dull, stereotypical workplaces, and instead augments the chain’s international aesthetic whilst showcasing its emphasis on art. With a sense of place in the Indian context, an eclectic stance is adopted to enliven the space and create a playful working environment that is fun and edgy.

The site inherited was a long linear floor plate with windows along its edge; optimizing the form and maximizing the window frontage planned with North-South orientation, the spatial planning exploits the site to funnel people inside, from an open, wider reception to the more private, meeting rooms inside. The reception manifests a playful take with a swing, eclectic seating, colorful rugs and carpets along with a coffee table that accentuates the spatial drama. Dividing the long linear corridor into a series of interactive spaces, the monotony is broken by arranging the working cabins and open areas in a manner that the corridor always seemed interesting. This layout provides for an array of open, co-working and individual spaces. The cafeteria is planned in a manner that sets the tone of informality throughout the workspace. At lunch, the main table is used for dining which otherwise doubles up for Table Tennis, to bring out the child in employees and augment the playful nature of this office.

Combining casual and minimalist aspects into this energetic space, on one side, a large artwork renders various frames. Nando’s as an organization, supports local talent and an art foundation that is a patron and collector of Southern African Art. Therefore, the curated art pieces on the walls have been exclusively picked from this foundation to showcase the art of the region and add an element of mystique to the walls, further enhanced by spot lights hanging from the ceiling above.

Natural daylight is maximized from the north and south through the use of glass, while minimizing glare. The Use of glass doors also facilitates optimum light, which creates a shift from the typical, artificially lit corridors. Since the office sits on the top floor of the commercial tower, the views have been exploited to the maximum. The cabins are aligned

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Sketch Plan.

Sectional Elevations.

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Art work from South African Art Foundation supported by Nando’s.

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A neutral colour Palette and locally sourced rugs.

with a window on the outer wall that reflects stupendous views of the urban surroundings. Integrating the brand’s informal and fun approach with the cabin design, metal and wooden chairs have been used to add a contemporary feel. In sync with the Nandos’ overall green approach, of using less resources, a lot of the chairs are used out of discards, scrapped at the time of renovating the restaurants. A boardroom sits on one end of the corridor behind a glass wall, done in cement and bricks.

A very earthy and natural palette of materials and colours have been used to design this office. Materials like mango wood furniture together with metal chairs add to the eclectic mix of elements. The flooring is crafted in grey cement and has been carpeted to add to the drama. The furnishings like rugs and carpets are basic in design, yet elegant in nature which are handcrafted and sourced locally. Simplistic Lighting is an essential focus of the overall design approach. Natural light is exploited to the maximum.

Accent lights are used to highlight the exclusive artwork, and the use of regular, artificial lighting is reduced to evening, after-dark hours only. An amalgam of music and art combined with soft furnishings appeals to all senses, therefore crafts a functional, yet vibrant office space, resonating with the nature of the brand Nando’s.

FACT FILE: Project Location Architect Design team Project Area Civil contractors Initiation of Project Completion of project

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Office for Nando’s Gurugram Amit Aurora and Rahul Bansal Vini Sam, Pritha Mitra 377 sq.m Architecture Plus August 2016 April 2017

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American white oak helps to achieve seamless spatial flow in Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center Text: AHEC Photographs: courtesy Sanset İ koor

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s part of the former Soviet Union, the urbanism and architecture of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on the Western coast of the Caspian Sea, was heavily influenced by the planning of that era.

Since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has invested heavily in modernizing and developing Baku’s infrastructure and architecture, departing from its legacy of normative Soviet Modernism.

Zaha Hadid Architects was appointed as design architects of the Heydar Aliyev Center following a competition in 2007. The Center, Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

designed to become the primary building for the nation’s cultural programs, breaks from the rigid and often monumental Soviet architecture that is so prevalent in Baku, aspiring instead to express the sensibilities of Azeri culture and the optimism of a nation that looks to the future.

The design of Heydar Aliyev Center establishes a continuous, fluid relationship between its surrounding plaza and the building’s interior.

The plaza, as the ground surface; accessible to all as part of Baku’s

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urban fabric, rises to envelop an equally public interior space and define a sequence of event spaces dedicated to the collective celebration of contemporary and traditional Azeri culture.

Elaborate forms, including undulations, bifurcations, folds, and inflections modify this plaza surface into an architectural landscape that performs a multitude of functions: welcoming, embracing, and directing visitors through different levels of the interior. In this way, the building blurs the conventional differentiation between architectural object and urban landscape, building envelope and urban plaza, figure and ground, interior and exterior. The Heydar Aliyev Center is a national symbol for Azerbaijan, a catalyst for regeneration and, in the broadest sense, a regional showpiece. Constructing Zaha Hadid Architects’ audacious design for the Center drew on expertise from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as further afield. This explains the feel-good factor and can-do mentality, which made it possible. It was a labor of love and one that clearly paid off, given that it was named Design of the Year 2014 by the London Design Museum - a first for an architectural project. It is in the design of the auditorium that Zaha Hadid Architects’ approach can be seen at its most formalistic, and its swirling free-form geometry in American white oak was one of the practice’s principal challenges to the project team. For specialist Ankara-based contractor, koor,

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who were responsible for the construction of the auditorium, freeform meant anything but a free-for-all. The architects expected the outcome of their design exploration to be replicated to the letter, providing little scope for rationalization and no possibility of “design creep.” The forms of the auditorium, appearing to metamorphose in algorithmic sequence from one bay to the next, could not be reduced to repetitive modules.

At the outset, İkoor were unsure how to proceed, evaluating the alternatives of a five-axle CNC router-milled solid wood shell, 45 mm thick for optimum acoustic performance, and a timber-clad carcass.

They also considered CNC router-shaped polystyrene, strengthened with fiberglass and veneered with timber. Concerned about accuracy, unsatisfactory wood grain patterns, expansion and contraction, koor rejected these options for a fourth they called “engineered craftsmanship”, that involved working with Rhino software to accurately construct a carcass from horizontal and vertical MDF members.

These members were CNC-formed, so they could be assembled to form a shape, which is a precise offset of the finished surface as modeled by Zaha Hadid Architects. Next, this surface was covered with four layers of accurately dimensioned 10 mm x 10 mm American white oak strips, successively glued, nailed, worked, and adjusted Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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until they precisely matched the geometry modeled by the architect, checked with digitally generated templates. This was the crafted stage of the operation. Each bay of the auditorium comprises three sections, one for the ceiling and two for its flanking walls, assembled from 8 to 15 subcomponents. Such was the scale of the construction project that, overall, 230 cubic meters of American white oak were used in the auditorium. Melih Gün, co-founder and owner of İkoor says that American white oak was chosen for the principal reasons that it “would perform well in an application where temperature and humidity levels would vary, it is homogeneous in texture with the right color for the desired end result, it has good working properties and, especially important for this project, its has good acoustic performance.” İkoor was not only the contractor of this project, but also was responsible for the acoustics and coordination tasks related to the auditorium. The company worked together with Dr. Mehmet Çalışkan from Mezzo Stüdyo Acoustic Consulting, also from Ankara For acoustic reasons, the internal surfaces were constructed as a shell within a box. Once this box was constructed, the internal shell was attached to a secondary steel frame, with rubber pad connections to the internal faces of its structure. An intermediary shell of multilayered sound insulation and steel wire suspension cables provide further acoustic Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

isolation. Although this wasn’t a routine operation for the project team, its greatest challenge was the auditorium’s roof acoustics.

This challenge was partly inherent in the project’s brief, requiring a space for conferences, which need low reverberance, so speech can be heard clearly, and music, which benefits from more reflection and richer acoustics.

The proposed use of the auditorium for opera and ballet as well as concerts was an additional complication, because each requires a different configuration of orchestra shell and pit. Zaha Hadid Architects’ prescriptive geometry, choice of reflective surface finishes and unwillingness to entertain acoustic enhancements that would transform the appearance of the auditorium according to its use, wound up the ratchet still further. This wasn’t just an acoustic formfinding exercise.

Mezzo Stüdyo, no stranger to headstrong architects’ visions for auditoria or conflicting requirements in clients’ briefs, was unfazed and, like other project team members, accepted Zaha Hadid Architects’ detailed proposals as a given. Mezzo Stüdyo also knew a deus ex machina was to hand: coupled-volume room acoustics.

This involves two or more spaces joined by a common acoustically

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American white oak (Quercus spp.)

American white oak has a creamy colored sapwood and a light to dark brown heartwood. White oak is mostly straight grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak, producing a distinctive and attractive grain pattern. American white oak is widely available and is a popular choice in export markets around the world for many furniture, flooring and joinery manufacturers due to its colour consistency and the high volume of square edged lumber production, and veneer availability. The wood is hard and heavy, with medium bending and crushing strength. It is low in stiffness, but very good in steam bending. For more information, please visit: www.americanhardwood.org.

About Zaha Hadid Architects Zaha Hadid, founder of Zaha Hadid Architects, was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize (considered to be the Nobel Prize of architecture) in 2004 and is internationally known for her built, theoretical and academic work. Each of her dynamic and pioneering projects builds on over thirty years of exploration and research in the interrelated fields of urbanism, architecture and design. For more information, please visit: www.zaha-hadid.com About İkoor Ikoor is a Turkish group of companies operating in design, project contracting, manufacturing and supply issues. Since its establishment, Ikoor has taken many prestigious and successful projects both at home and abroad. By the help of all technical personnel, facilities and equipment, a key number of projects have been completed with customer satisfaction and company pride. For more information, please visit: www.ikoor.com.tr.

transparent surface, known as a coupling aperture. The core concept relies on unequal time requirements for sound decay in each space.

This entails excess energy in one space during the decay process, which is transferred to the other. This can produce a sound decay that is suitable for the desired acoustic qualities within a space.

In the case of the Heydar Aliyev Center, an unused ceiling void adjacent to the proscenium opening provided an opportunity to construct an enclosure with reflecting surfaces to act as the coupling volume. The configuration of flaps opening into this space was optimized through acoustic simulations involving 8,751 plane surfaces derived from Zaha Hadid Architects’ model, using ODEON software. This configuration of multiple apertures provides a better diffusion and flow of surplus energy from the coupled room into the main hall than would be achieved with one large opening.

“As with all of our work, the Heydar Aliyev Center’s design evolved from our investigations and research of the site’s topography and the Center’s role within its broader cultural landscape. By employing these articulate relationships, the design is embedded within this context; unfolding the future cultural possibilities for the nation,” concludes Zaha Hadid Architects.

About AHEC The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is the leading international trade association for the US hardwood industry, representing committed exporting US hardwood companies and all the major US hardwood production trade associations. AHEC runs a worldwide programme to promote American hardwoods in over 50 export markets, concentrating on providing architects, specifiers, designers and end-users with technical information on the range of species, products and sources of supply. In addition, AHEC also produces a full range of technical publications.

For more information, please visit: www.americanhardwood.org.

FACT FILE: Project Client Location Type Architect Design Project Architect Main Contractor and Architect of Record Acoustic Consultant Auditorium Wooden Cladding Site area Auditorium capacity Project timespan

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Heydar Aliyev Center The Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan Mixed-use cultural center Zaha Hadid Architects Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher with Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu

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DiA Holding Mezzo Stüdyo

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İkoor

111,292 m2 1,000 September 2007 - May 10, 2012

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Façade, Church of Bom Jesus. (1605)

Baroque Style An appreciation of the Baroque style of architecture and in churches constructed in Goa and Bangalore. The important characteristics of this style were the spatial invention, the concept of movement, drama and sculptural decoration and freedom of detail.

Its influence and revival on architecture in India.

Text & Images : Shabbir Lehri, professor of architecture, BMS College of Architecture, Bengaluru Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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brilliant new style of architecture – Baroque developed in Europe in the seventeenth century. It was also the century when geniuses like Newton, Galileo and Kepler were born and a new rational growth of science took place. Various discoveries were made during this time that the earth was no longer the center of the universe and it was Kepler’s discovery that the heavenly bodies moved not in circular paths but in elliptical orbits with many theories of science often being in conflict with religion.

Baroque style in architecture also developed from Renaissance buildings of Michelangelo, a radical sculptor and architect whose

concept of architecture was something living and was stepping stone to the dynamism of Baroque churches.

The etymological origin of the word was perhaps from the Portuguese Barocco describing pearls of irregular shape. It refers to aspects of seventeenth century Italian art and served as an umbrella to gather a variety of international styles like Early High and Baroque classicism in countries all over world including France, Germany, Austria, England, and India. Although Baroque architecture was invented in Italy, it developed in India in the first decade of the seventeenth century and was bought by the Portuguese. It was also a time of great splendor with Indian Architect & Builder - July 2017

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Exterior View, Church of Lady of Immaculate Conception (1609)

Sketch

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Façade, St. Mark’s Cathedral,1905

Porch, St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1905.

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Porch: Capital, St. Mark Cathedral.

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artists being asked to satisfy a taste for magnificence by creating works in which arts like painting sculpture architecture and urbanism were fused. The churches built during the Baroque period also represent oval shaped form, spatial invention and freedom of detail.

In Goa, the cultural influence of Portuguese who came to India in early sixteenth century as merchants and is reflected in the architecture of churches who introduced the Baroque style of construction.

The architectural vocabulary of the laterite church of Bom Jesus is articulated by means of moldings, pilasters and cornices. The design also implies the concept of movement around the dynamic volume of the church.

The façade of immense height is crowned by a pediment in the centre, the ornate classical decoration of the exterior is characteristic of Baroque architecture.

The articulation of the first storey is a majestic series of Corinthian columns supported on pedestals, with the central portal accentuated by means of an arch and double columns with two side entrances. The oval motif on the top of the doorway is a baroque feature which was often adopted in plans and elevations of churches in Europe.

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The second level which corresponds to the division of the lower story with a doric pilaster each set framing a window. The third level is Apse, St. Mark Cathedral

Interior, St. Mark’s Cathedral.

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View of Nave and Aisle, St. Mark Cathedral

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Clerestorey, St. Mark Cathedral.

Interior view of the domed apse, St. Mark Cathedral.

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Marian Chapel, St. Mark Cathedral.

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Corinthian capital

decorated by circular windows and ornamental motif framed with ionic pilasters and a heavy cornice. Prominent in the design of the façade is an intricately carved low relief panel decorated with Jesuit emblem ”IHS” a abbreviation of the Latin’ Iesus Hominium Salvator’ The elevation of the building gives a false impression that the interior of the church is designed as three story structure. To conceal the sloping gable roof of the church, volutes breaks the skyline of the façade. The buttresses on the side of the building make the architecture seem by comparison “gothic”. Since the style is a synthesis of classical and gothic styles, baroque can be interrupted as culmination of the birth of classicism begun three centuries earlier in Italy.

storey of equal dimensions. The façade of the church is framed by twin towers with balustrade parapets and the centrally placed belfry to accommodate the huge bell which can be seen from a great distance.

The symmetrical façade with paired pilaster articulation is devoid of rich capitals and rippling volume that gave the earlier church of Bom Jesus the excitement of a new language. The relief ornament is kept to minimum, the surfaces are smooth and edges of the form which protrude from the wall are crisp and sharp. The volutes are reduced to mere slender ribbons.

Few Baroque monuments can offer a more effective interaction of spectator and architecture than the Our Lady of Immaculate conception.

The sober and traditionally classical style of the building appears not substantially different from High Renaissance style of Italian churches.

The building is given its elegance and dignity by the rhythm of the doubled pilasters on the façade.

The Baroque church of lady of Immaculate Conception (1609) sits atop a hill in Panjim and offers an effective interaction of spectator and architecture. The design also stresses the concept of movement up to the entrance with steeply rising staircase in three levels creating a grand and visually stimulating blend of architecture and surrounding landscape.

The façade is composed of volutes, cornices and pilaster. The architectural vocabulary is one of extreme clarity and austerity cornices and pedimented windows which perfectly balance the upper and lower

Revivalism in India included various styles like neoclassical, Baroque revival and Gothic Revival began in 1820’s. The St. Mark’s cathedral, Bangalore named after Saint Mark one of the twelve disciples of Lord Jesus Christ built in in beginning of nineteenth century is an example of Baroque revival. Founded in 1808, the cathedral was inaugurated as the focus of the cantonment and it celebrated its 200 years bicentenary in 2008.The church was built on the lines of St. Paul’s, London designed

by Christopher Wren is comparatively more human in scale and plainer in decoration compared to its predecessor. When the church started its

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Detail of capital and fascia in the exterior.

worship services it could accommodate about 450 people. The church was intended for the troops in the Fort and for those in the barracks at that time.

In 1901 the Government of British India funded the enlargement of the church with a central tower, transepts and a chancel. Due to the defect in the materials, there was a catastrophe as the tower fell and crashed on one of the transepts. The church was rebuilt without the tower to accommodate about 700 people. In 1905 Bangalore was the first city in India to have electricity and St. Marks was one of the first churches to have electricity installed as early as 1908. In 1923 a fire caused by a short circuit destroyed the interiors of the church and it took about four years to repair and complete the facelift of the structure. In 1947 the St. Marks church entered a new phase of its life as it was chosen to be the Cathedral of the Diocese. The dominant dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral is reduced to a shallow dome which does not play a significant role in the façade of the church. The pedimented exterior with Ionic columns is transformed to plain porch with double corinthian columns. The magic of St. Mark’s illumination and architectonic scale of the building create an extraordinary vision of transcendence. The stained glass arches of large windows of the interior are decorated with floral motifs.

The Latin cross plan with pedimented transepts and domed apse has an entrance porch supported on paired Ionic columns. In the interior between the nave and the clerestory runs a broad expanse of masonry

and is divided by a classical cornice.

The Corinthian capital in the interior is enveloped by a complex vegetative layer which embodies the illusion of organic growth. Its base is a ring of six acanthus leaves with the center one higher. Four stalks emerge from behind and reach up towards the corner of the abacus in the form of curled elements (helices).

The exterior paired columns of the porch have Corinthian capitals of Ionic variation with a moulded calyx which curve outward to the corner where it is chamfered. The curled helices of the Corinthian capital rest on an echinus which has an egg and dart moulding.

The elevation scheme is articulated with Corinthian pilasters, roman arches and balustraded parapets and a shallow dome. The architrave was divided in to two fascia forms ribbon of light spacing the intercolumnar gap with bracket like dentils above and finally the corona and the cyma.

Shabbir Lehri has completed his B.Arch. from Mangalore University and M.Arch. from Centre of Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad. His areas of specialization are Urban Design, Architectural Design, History and Theory of Architecture. Presently he is Asst.

Professor at BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru.

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RNI No: 46976/87 Registered with Register of Newspaper of India, ISSN 0971-5509. Publishing Date: 1st of every month.

Postal Registration No: MCS/183/2016-18. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting office, Mumbai 400001, on 7th & 8th of every month.

Total Pages = 90

Chief Guest - Shri Suresh Prabhu, Honourable Union Minister of Railways, Govt of India.

S&A

Structure & Architecture Conference 24th November, 2017, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

RE-CONNECTING INDIA Aligning with “SETU BHARATAM”A Government of India Initiative Focus: Technology & Challenges in Bridge Modernisation & Maintenance

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