indigo architects

By Editorial Staff - 3 March 2025

The sole arena in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to host an international cultural events program, the open-air Natarani Amphitheater comes alive with artistic performances by dancers, actors, poets, writers, musicians and singers. Located next to the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts dance school, a modernist structure designed by Achyut Kanvinde, the new facility replaced an old amphitheater dating back to the 1990s. Designed by indigo architects – founded in Ahmedabad in 1998 and led by Uday Andhare and Mausami Andhare – the project fits in with historic architecture along the Sabarmati River, including Le Corbusier’s Mill Owners’ Association Building and the Sabarmati Ashram, one of Mahatma Gandhi’s residences.

The Natarani Amphitheater prominently features robust materials such as exposed concrete and brick, contrasted by the lightness of a metal walkway suspended above the seating area, which is used for technological lighting and sound equipment. The tiered seating for 385 spectators is finished with broken China mosaic tiles. The material palette is rounded off by lime-plastered walls, wooden stage flooring, and stone slabs for the entrance plaza.

In addition to the performance space, service areas contain dressing rooms for artists, and restrooms for the audience. Arranged across multiple levels, a cross-section of the arena reveals a massive rainwater tank below the stage. This water is circulated below the seating to cool the structure in summer, while the imposing profile of the previously built brick wall along the riverbank doubles as an acoustic barrier.