INTERLACE | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The Thakorbhai Hall is situated in one of Ahmedabad’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. With a seating capacity of 721, it is the city’s busiest theatre and regularly holds events.  One of the primary public recreation areas of the city, the area serves as a nexus for numerous activities. The site’s surrounding environment is constantly changing and quite lively throughout the day, with one activity taking centre stage. It is flanked by numerous other famous and historic institutions.

A lot of activity can be seen on the edges, and there is a lot of traffic on the roads, both vehicular and pedestrian. The primary public spaces near the site include Khau Gali (Food Street), Law Garden, Chaniya Choli Street Bazaar, Horse-Camel Riders, and Nature’s Park. The area’s residents are primarily from the upper or middle classes. The houses of Ahmedabad’s mayor and judges are also located in this region.

The site analysis aided in developing the program and spatial strategy and highlighted some concerns. One of the main issues was that the hall’s architecture failed to reflect Ahmedabad’s rich culture. Other issues included the institutes’ rigid nature, the lack of interaction between the institutes, the difficulty of getting about the hall owing to traffic and informal activities, and their lack of response to public spaces.

Design Process

Area program: In order to enable interaction between the city and public institutions a cultural hub is proposed as the centre of all activities. To make the experience of watching a live performance much richer, ancillary areas like workshops, exhibitions, cafes, plazas, and libraries are included. These spaces will encourage informal interactions between the institution’s users and the local community, which is currently missing. 

Following spatial strategies were analysed and explored as part of the design process to arrive at the final design.

1. Lifting the huge mass: In order to obtain visual connectivity between the intervention and the surrounding public space (Khau Gali), the huge mass is raised above ground level. A physical connection is also enabled and the vendors will be designated beneath the canopy.

2. Building acting as an anchor: To create an anchor point for Khau gali, a tall and slender canopy is incorporated over the pedestrian plaza. The arch profile on the walls of Khau gali that reflects the city’s cultural significance is mirrored to the canopy to keep the structure a part of the context.

3. Combining the institution: To achieve smooth pedestrian movement, the plaza and canopy are aligned with Bhai Kaka Bhavan, also addressing the potential for a public intervention to enhance its surroundings.

4. Elevated Public zone: In order to attract crowds to Khau Gali, an elevated public zone is integrated into the space between the lofty canopy. Compared to the experience of the 250m linear Khau Gali, the volume of the vibrant public zone above the plaza will offer a different experience to the visitors.

5. Rigid Behaviour: To break the rigid nature of brick and concrete in the older institutions in the area, the intervention is divided into two different natures. It will maintain the rigid behaviour of the institutes and the light canopy will adapt to Khau gali’s informal setting.

Final Outcome

The project responds to the rigorous character of the institutions in the neighbourhood by building a grid that continues the walls of Bhai kaka bhavan (adjacent building). The linear columns’ dimensions of 2.5 m by 0.5 m allow for internal circulation as well. The 250-metre-long Khau gali is anchored by the tall, attractive canopy, which also serves as a backdrop for Chaniya choli bazaar.

An active connection was established from the plaza and the library of Bhai Kaka Bhavan, making it more adaptable and functional. This is accomplished by drawing people’s attention to the institution and creating a visual connection through the shaded canopy. The daily interaction through the plaza will keep the users updated about the institution’s schedule. 

Materiality: Mild Steel sections are used as structural elements as the 18m tall canopy needed an inviting nature as well as less columns on the ground. In order to give the main component of the intervention a rigid personality, spaces like the auditorium are made of exposed brick, and the structure becomes form-finished concrete, blended in with the region’s material palette.

Structure: The structural system consists of large twin columns to reduce the grid formed on the shaded plaza under the auditorium and create a visual connection with its immediate setting. The rigid approach and the informal behaviour of the intervention go hand in hand. It respects the privacy of the performance space and the visual and physical connectivity are maintained in the buffer space between these two contrasting features.

By attempting to establish a dialogue between the institutions and the informal activities taking place nearby, the project serves as a catalyst for carrying the heritage of Khau Gali into the future. In order to make the experience of attending a performance more interesting and rich, it demonstrates how a formal event, such as a performance space, can interact with the current surroundings.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]