Jewel
of western India: Gujarat
Gujarat, Jewel of western India. From the
white desert of Kutch to Sabarmati river front, from Indus valley civilization to Somnath temple, from salt manufacturing to Gujarati language everything has it
beautiful colors. It is full of cultural heritage sites and some of the
standing marvels of architecture. Whenever the name of Gujarat comes Gandhi
Ashram can’t be put aside. The Gandhi memorial is beautifully endowed with
tiled roof depicting the simplicity of Gandhi ji. R.C.C. channels below the
roof opening to water court which act as a beam and a rainfall conduit
supported on exposed brick pier. The floor is in stone adding grace to it. As
anyone enters it doesn’t feels like entering a boring four walled structure,
the closed, semi-opened and open spaces are aesthetically used. No glass window
is being used instead of it the concrete louvers act as horizontal blinds. The
spaces are housed in a disaggregated plan analogous to a village. It gives
visual quite where eye can rest and mind can meditate.
The next one is the Louis I Kahn plaza in IIM
Ahmedabad. The institutional building is the main center of attraction. It is
planned around a large court apart from putting small courtyards to see
movement all around. The exposed brick work is used all throughout the facade of
buildings with poured in place concrete masonry. Concrete is only restricted to
foundation, floor slabs and ties for arches. Brick arches have been used in
larger spans. Large geometrical extractions were placed in such a way to acts
as light well and provide natural ventilation. The fusion of modern and local
traditional architecture is alluring.
Another one is the sanskar Kendra, the city
museum in Ahmedabad is designed by Le Corbusier. The building externally is in
brick cladding with exposed elements of raw concrete. The unfinished concrete
can be easily seen in the joints in the formwork. The whole structure
completely rests on 11ft high circular base concrete piers. The illumination of
the building is the integral part which makes an impression on visitor’s mind.
Through the building you enters into a court open to sky which has a pool where
all the water sheds away. All the care is taken to maintain the temperature
difference as one enters from outside to inside.
The other fascinating thing which is found in
old Ahmedabad are the pols, clustered houses which are mainly multi-story
usually made of brick and mortar with an entrance gate. Each pol has some
social and architectural homogeneity.
Comments
Post a Comment