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 of this temporary pavilion was to celebrate tribal life, rituals and the symbiotic relationship with the forest. An earnest attempt has been made to raise awareness about the enrichment and conservation of forest-lands 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.
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.
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 drop lights 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.
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.
Bansberia
India
Kishor Sangha Community
10/2015
150 mq
Abin Design Studio
Abin Chaudhuri, Sayantan Chakraborty
Sayantan Chakraborty
Curriculum
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”.
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.