Jaipur Heritage Hub

Contemporary Heritage Centre

#ArchitecturalDesign | Semester 7|Performative Architecture | Jaipur context

Conceptualization:

Performative architecture in a harsh climate was the given brief. Jaipur was chosen, as it is extremely hot and dry along with a strong architectural history. It is observed that buildings like Hawa Mahal, Jantar Matar, Jal Mahal, were all explorations in architecture based on natural elements like sun, air, etc.

The site is chosen adjacent to Mansagar lake in Jaipur, which is where the Jal Mahal is located. There is an access to the boating area from which there is a secondary access to the proposed heritage hub.

Accessed through a huge fort of 15m high, which is the receiving space of the hub. It houses the parking, admin office, boards rooms, lounge and acts as transition space. There are two paths that takes one out of this place- the one on west takes the visitors on camel to the stay facility; the one on east takes them to the hub!

The fort acts as screen and creates the curiosity of visitors to have the view of the Jaipur city as perceived

The campus is divided with a strong north-south axis: it distinguishes the private stay on the western side and the public hub on the eastern side.The staff quarters, auditorium are in proximity to the fort to visually balance the mass.

The re-interpretation of Jaipur city in contemporary performative architecture is quite a surprise as one sees this from the fort. It helps relate to the Jaipur city plan in its organisation and makes the visitor more curious to visit these spaces. All the buildings in the campus have simple form and interest is created in the performative aspects.

The central axis has landscapes, camel stays and terminates at the watch tower that merges to ground level and rises to 24m height and the axis directs the view to the Mansagar lake beyond.

The Time Museum:

Jantar Matar was an architectural exploration of mapping sun path to predict time. As a contemporary interpretation of the same, the time museum is designed as a performative built environment. The roof has twelve sectors which rotate to convey the minute and the door moves to show the hour of the day. One experiences the movements from within and outside.

It works on the mechanical systems as illustrated below:

Meditation Mandir:

In relation to the olden day temples, the meditation mandir is designed to serve a peaceful space for one to seek in silence. This space involves all elements like air, water, space, earth and heat which can be touched, felt and experienced.

This space is an aerial form- dome made of space frames, with spheres for individual meditative spaces. These spaces are submerged in water partially, and the water flows on the walls. It helps keep the space cool, hear the sound of water, smell the earth of the floor, touch it and is a peaceful space to meditate. The central meditation hall is for larger groups.

The Watch tower:

The Izarat tower of Jaipur was used to watch the far off places, As a contemporary interpretation of the same, the watch tower is designed to watch the surroundings. The tower raises upto 24m high and merges back to ground. It is like a plaza on which people get on, and operate the joystick which raises the plaza. It works on the hydraulic systems.

The tower mechanism when it is merged below ground and the mechanism below ground:

The Water museum:

Jal Mahal is an exploration of architecture under water. The water museum as a contemporary interpretation of the same, is a spiral path through water, made of water and transcends to a central lift. From the lift, one is raised through the water museum and connects to the land through a bridge.

The Air museum:

The Hawa Mahal was a screen behing the Jaipur palace, to create niches for women to watch the market area. It cut down the heat and allowed air to pass through.

As a contemporary interpretation, the air museum works on the Bernouli's principle as briefed in the drawing below. It has perforated walls through which the walls breathe exhaling hot air and inhaling cool air. There are passenger lifts in the spaces behind the breathing walls, through which one experiences the effects of these walls.

The Ranga-sthal:

Rajasthan has its traditional folk dance which is performed at the stay area as part of cultural event. Visitors are taken to the place on a camel through the sandscape. The amphi theatre is on sand-dunes on a raised platform where audience sit around to watch the performers at the centre. The musicians are on the mezzanine level roof- a higher level playing to synchronise with the dance. Below that is the service area for the performance plaza.

The end of the hub is the commercial space; it is a re interpretation of the olden day markets with a semi open space to sit and make transactions and closed space to store. The central open space is for street art, street plays, rope arts, and other local cultural arts.

The entrance fort:

Jaipur has a rich history of kings and kingdoms and the remains of forts are the evidence for the same. The fort is a metaphor to convey the heritage hub although many such metaphors like the Jaipur city plan itself can be seen in the campus along with huts, food stalls, dining spaces and so on.

The fort is about 15m tall made of stone walls of about 1m. Being the entrance building, it has the admin office, board rooms, lounge, waiting areas, and lobby from where the journey inside begins and ends. The fort slopes down as hill behind, and makes space for the cars to park.

The auditorium:

The auditorium is a huge mass of about 9m which gets tucked in the hilly slope and below ground. It shares a wall with the fort and becomes part of the same building.

The Rajasthani thali:

The dining spaces are scooped in the earth to create in-built benches along with an experience of baithak seating on floor. It has the tent kind of pyramid roofs to provide shade and shelter.

Various configurations are illustrated to bring in variety.