THE GUILD

Program: The KHB Trust in an endeavor to rejuvenate a 5 acres unused park in Bangalore adjacent to their existing institute has proposed to create a Museum, Library & an Auditorium, simultaneously landscaping the park to make a public space.
Site characteristics & constraints: The gently contoured site is entered by an access road on the southern side sloping down towards the north with 2 small existing ponds.
Construction system: RCC frame structure in regular structural grid, using locally sourced materials within 1 km of the site reducing transportation costs. Regular RCC framed structure enabled to source all the labor for the project from the villages in the vicinity. Local gray granite bricks are used for all the walls. All windows are deeply recessed to reduce the heat gain. Extensive use of Granite Screens in masonry blocks and terrace gardens provide respite from South Solar gain. Landscape uses regional plants that require minimum water. All materials used internally too are low maintenance with tiled flooring, textured paint finished walls.
Plot Size: 5 Acres
Total Construction Area: 57340 sq.ft.
Design description: The landscape proposal links the two existing ponds creating a small waterfront on the northern perimeter of the site with stepped platforms imbibed from the ‘Stepped Ghats’ that are famous in the region of site’s location.
The Museum & auditorium along with a large cafeteria are sited on the south east corner of the site orienting all the spaces towards the landscaped areas on the north & thereby reducing heat gain in a location that has temperatures in excess of 30°C most of the year.
The disposition of the enclosed spaces is done in a manner that allows the built spaces gradually emerge from the garden side in terms of height thereby reducing the building volumes from the public garden side, ascending towards the south east corner housing single level spaces on the garden side with 2nd and 3rd level diminishing in plan as it steps back towards the southern end with a clock tower that is a part of the client’s brief.
Fragmented into numerous cuboids the building creates a sculptural internal space that echoes the organic hill settlements of old Indian cities externally.
The design creates public spaces that are open as well as enclosed & semi enclosed sequentially responding to the client’s brief, the climate of the location & need for public space to rejuvenate an unused open land in the heart of an urban area.