Interpretation Centre
Tamil Nadu has a great tradition of heritage and culture that developed over 2,000 years ago and still continues to flourish. Mamallapuram, a town in Tamil Nadu, is known for its heritage structures and cultural traditions. This town is currently facing socio-cultural issues: the heritage and culture is not being recognized, the town’s economy is falling due to less footfall, and the need to bring out the artistic expressions of the native sculptors. My project aims at bringing out the cultural influences imbibed by the town through architecture.
Cultural centre Type Semester Mentor Scope
Softwares used
Undergrad Thesis Project 10th semster (Individual) Dr. K.Thirumaran Master planning, Conceptualising, Plans, Sections and Elevations, Renders, Presentation Sketchup, AutoCAD, Vray, Photoshop
Mamallapuram The immense built-heritage of the town with its innumerous Dravidian temple structures and traditional handicrafts is a perfect place to compliment the culture through architecture.
Background
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SITE | Surrounding
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Mamallapuram is a picturesque rocky town wedged between the beach and lagoon. It stands as a testimonial for a combination of history with art and architecture. The town was built by Pallavan kings to increase their sea trade and portray their interest in perfecting art and architecture during their reign. Mamallapuram stands as a centre of art and as an icon to early Dravidian style of temple architecture. The Shore Temple symbolises the heights of Pallava architecture and the maritime ambitions of the Pallava kings. Though small in size, its excellent proportion and the supreme quality of the carvings made it the most prominent structure in the study of temple architecture. Another notable monument is the Pancha Rathas, an architectural ode to Mahabharata’s five Pandava brothers. These ancient edifices, carved out of a long stone or monolith, are decorated with bas-reliefs and murals.
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Heritage mapping Monument prohibited area
Landuse mapping
Educational use
Commercial use
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Tourism development mapping
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Traditional settlement mapping
What makes Mahabalipuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. An Interpretation Centre is used as a focal point to create a Heritage township that would emphasise the existing fabric. The ancient monuments are accentuated to attract the tourist population. The site is strategically placed inbetween the two most prominent heritages of Mamallapuram- Shore temple and Pacha Rathas. Along with this, the beach-ward location enhances the vistas from the site. Against this backdrop, an Interpretation Centre would be most appropriate in this location as it would try to interlace the environment of the past preserving its culture, tradition and architecture, and the present architectural fabric. The apt location of the site supplements the spirit of the place.
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3 Shore temple
Present day
Light house
Mahabalipuram had been a most frequently visited tourist town. Due to the stagantion in the development of the town, the town faces reduced footfall. This leads to other sociocultural issues - the historical value is not being recognized, the town’s economy is falling, and the need to bring out the artistic expressions of the native sculptors.
Pancha Rathas SITE
The Walk: View of the Shore temple and the activity plaza
Genius Loci *
Mind map: The spirit of Mamallapuram contained by built- unbuilt strands
“Architecture means to visualize the genius loci, and the task of the architect is to create meaningful places, whereby he helps man to dwell” - Norberg-Schulz
“The essential of the Genius Loci theory is to understand the cultural connotation and human natural characteristics of the entity space. Space is always created by material substances for certain purpose and limitation, only when its been given with locally and cultural contextual significance can a space become a place.” A space is made of following components: 1. The static physical setting 2. The activities taking place 3. The meaning that the space holds
* Dissertation Reseach link: https://issuu.com/vidhya6/docs/manifestation_of_genius_loci_throug
Mind map: The spirit of Mamallapuram is imbibed into the site through tangible and intangible aspects
Translation into Architecture | Site plan
Surrounding vistas panaroma
The layout analysis of Mamallapuram Temple
Public Plaza: The functionality of the public plaza is resolved using the layout of a typical Mamallapuram temple. The circulation is kept simple and borrowed scenery is used to emphasise the surrounding heritage structures.
Semi - Public Plaza: The heritage of Mamallapuram is in a state of deterioration. There is also a dearth in the conservation practices in South India. A sophisticated conservation facility with an institute wing also forms a part of the project to support and to ameliorate the Heritage Museum. The conservation laboratory overlooks the 1500 years old Pancha Ratha.
Visually linking the workplace and the place of work Traslation of traditional layout concept into the Site plan
Entry portal | Visitor’s centre
Central node | Landscape The central node is a crowd organiser. It has the core buildings organised around it with sufficient breathing spaces provided to catch glimpses of the beach. It opens onto an activity area for the public to enjoy the local culture against the backdrop of the shore temple and the sea.
Infusing a sense of local character Borrowed view of the beach and the view of the activity area
View of the Visitor’s centre
The visitor’s centre is the first building that one encounters on approaching the site. It serves as reception for the visitors. The long perpendicular wall that cuts through the building, juxtaposed against the stone cladded wall, sets the orientation of entry into the building and exit onto the central plaza. The top floor is aligned along the axis facing the Pancha Rathas.
Associating the reading room and the context of the city
Plan overlay
Heritage Museum Shore temple
Shore temple
Axis of city growth Basement floor
Pancha Rathas
Pancha Rathas
Design evolution through acknowledging the axes of the town
The Heritage Museum, which is based on intagible concepts derived from the axes of the town, houses tangible heritage of South India- the sculptures, textiles, scriptures, paintings, etc. Key
Sectional view
Houses the works of the native sculptors
Ground floor
First floor
Houses the archaeological remains, deities and ancient artifacts
Second floor
Interior view of the Gallery along the shore temple axis
Spatial experience
Interior view of the model
Model view of the Museum
Cultural Centre
Sectional view of the cultural centre
The Cultural Centre houses the intangible art forms of Mamallapuram. People experience the traditional culture though the architecture of the building and the art form in itself.
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“Thus formed an art, inbetween those fingers.�
Spatial experience 1 Play of light and shadow | Borrowed views of the beach 2 The Street | Local character | Traditional setting 3 Reflections | Light through water | Diffused lighting 2
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