ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. The Pavilion of Canopies in West Bengal, India by Abin Design StudioFebruary 26th, 2016 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Abin Design Studio Built for accommodating the activities of a religious festival for a tribal community that resides in the lush countryside west of Kolkata, the driving concept behind the design was to celebrate tribal life, rituals and the symbiotic relationship with the forest. The fascinating surroundings of the Pavilion of Canopies are reflected in its design. An earnest attempt has been made to raise awareness about the enrichment and conservation of forestlands and the communities residing within them by highlighting their lives within the forest. The design experience was to abstract the journey through a lush forest of canopies and arrive at the sight of glorious divinity. This was similar to the ancient Indian ritual of undertaking a pilgrimage through the forest to seek divine enlightenment. Since the site is also surrounded by dense greenery the design seeks to formally reflect this contextual characteristic.  Aerial view of the pavilion at night , Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty
 Front view of the pavilion during the evening , Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty A mandala-like plan of nineteen discs, each measuring diametrically 10 feet was laid out within a 60 feet dia. circular periphery. Each disc was raised to a height of twenty feet supported by a structure of composite bamboo posts centered at each disc. However, this grid like symmetry of was contrasted by the introduction of 38 planes of undulating fabric that created the diverse canopies within the pavilion. Each fabric plane was bound by a grade of parameters of varying width and height that resulted in a parametric canopy that surged like the tangled vegetation of a forest.  Side view of the pavilion at night, Image Courtesy © Subhrajit G.Mitra  Side view of the pavilion during the evening, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty Witnessing shooting stars through the canopy of trees is one of the many cherished memories of growing up in the Bengali countryside. The design seeks to subtly echo that spectacle by placing LED droplights within the spaces of the fabric panels. The placement of handcrafted birds from local artisans perched on the fabric canopies not only evokes the spirit of the forest but also provides them with a source of additional income and a platform to showcase local art. The construction is sustainable since the primary building materials of fabric and bamboo would be re-used in future community events.  Interior view of the pavilion during the afternoon highlighting the cavernous spaces, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Interior view of the pavilion during at night highlighting filtration of artificial light, Image Courtesy © Abin Chaudhuri As an exercise in abstracting tradition, the plan was a contemporary update of the classical temple pavilion. The idea was to circumnavigate through the forest of canopies and arrive at the shrine that housed the deity. The cascading drapes of the fabric planes were lifted in places to create almost a forest pathway for the devotees to trace their steps to the shrine. Formally, the fabric canopy can also be thought of as an inverted temple Shikhara. The Indian temple is a classical example of designing a devotional community space. The conceptualization of the Pavilion of Canopies is in its essence, a contemporary attempt at re-imagining this ancient tradition.  Front view of the pavilion during the afternoon, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the canopy fabric panels highlighting the handcrafted birds, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the canopy fabric panels highlighting the daylight filtration, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the canopy fabric panels highlighting the handcrafted birds, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the fabric canopies during the evening, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the fabric canopies during the evening, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Detail view of the fabric canopies during the evening, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  View of construction progress of the pavilion, Image Courtesy © Abin Chaudhuri  Conceptual Model, Image Courtesy © Sayantan Chakraborty  Conceptual model detail, Image Courtesy © Abin Chaudhuri About Abin Design Studio: Location: Kolkata, India Abin Design Studio began in October 2005 under the leadership of Abin Chaudhuri. He graduated from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 1998 and pursued Industrial Design at Domus Academy, Milan. Recently, he attended the Glenn Murcutt International Master Class 2014. ADS believes architecture is an artistic expression as far as it transcends its purely utilitarian, technical and rational realm, and turns into a metaphoric expression of the lived world, human condition and context. Our aim is to provide a “Soul in the Shell”. Over a slim span of ten years, completed projects of ADS have earned us numerous accolades – more than 37 international and national awards and many published works in several magazines world-over. In 2014, our work was selected by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, for publication and a travelling exhibition – “Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities”. Today ADS is one of the best known young design firms and in a recent critical design publication has found a place among the top 50 Design firms in the country. We believe architecture is not merely about Creation, It is about a Search. From social aspects, to the mechanics of spaces and forms, from the beauty of light and shadow to striking a harmony with nature, it is essentially a continuing process of discovery of cohesion in the world. The journey, and all that we come across during this process, is what contributes to one’s growth. With every project, we feel ourselves becoming more and more mature. We see a finesse developing and we realise that we still have a long way to go. However, we also notice that we have learnt something at the end of the day. This spirit of learning from everything around us is what keeps our fire burning.
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Tags: India, West Bengal |
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