Cultural Center
Sector
Public
Location
Ghasiram ni Pol, Ahmedabad
Client
Mr. Bunty
(Owner of the Existing House)
The client currently using the pol house as a wholesale shop wants to convert the house into some other place. The program brief could be discussed and decided by the firm.
The cultural center is one of the 100-year-old pol houses in the old city of Ahmedabad, which is revamped for this purpose. It houses multiple exhibition spaces, a library, reading space and a cafe.
The place is designed in a way that it retains the atmosphere of the original building. It is a space for reflection and exploration. The design of the spaces is inspired by the idea of revealing spaces which was experienced in the old building. It is focused on creating an immersive experience that engages visitors' senses and emotions.
The site had an overarching feeling of dark, quiet and
revealing.
As the first step, sketches were done on the site to identify the feelings of sight and sound. However, taking a step back to relook at the sketches helped to realize the role of memory. This enabled recognizing the powerful feelings of the site that were retained in memory and deciding on which feelings to retain. This ensured the designs were grounded in the site's unique character and identity.
Measure Drawing the Existing Pol House as an
in-between step.
As the approach taken towards the project was of adaptive reuse, therefore the original building was documented. However, not a lot of attention was paid to the structural aspects in the initial design phase in order to not restrict oneself.
Design ideas were explored using sketches as a tool.
These sketches were based on the identified keywords of the over-arching feeling of the project and were reflective of the memories of the site and the feelings that needed to be retained. By using this approach, ideas could be explored such that the designs resonated with the intended emotions of the project.
The building's dark and quiet ambience creates a meditative atmosphere that allows visitors to reflect on the past, present, and future.
​
Upon entering the cultural center, a dark passage reveals a completely new open space which is The Cafe. The pebbled flooring brings back the memory of the plot with the dried leaves littered on the ground. The foliage of trees creates a canopy for visitors to relax.
​
The cafe is further extended into the transformed - old part of the house. The open-to-sky courtyard in between brings a beam of light into the dark space. The exhibition space is designed to be dark, with minimal lighting to create a sense of intimacy and focus. The balcony provides a retreat from the dark space for one to reflect in an open space.
​
On the topmost floor is the library, which is designed to be a quiet and peaceful space. It allows visitors to delve into the history and culture of the area.
The use of steel as a dark and sleek element creates a contrast between the new and the old.
