CASE STUDY : SANSKRITI KENDRA : Introduction

GENERAL INFORMATION :
Sanskriti Kendra is a symbol of Sanskriti's involvement in activities relating to
art, craft, literature, the performing arts, and social work.
Sanskriti literally means 'the process of cultivating', The Foundation has been
working towards cultivating an environment for the preservation and
development of the artistic and cultural resources not only of India but of
the world as a whole.
It houses three unique museums of everyday art, Indian terracotta, and Indian
Textiles; residential studios & artists lounge; conference facilities; a library; an
amphitheatre; a ceramic centre; an art gallery; and computers & communication LOCATION : Mehrauli-Gurgaon road ,
facilities Delhi
DISTANCES : At Delhi-Gurgaon border,
7 kms from IGI airport
FEW INITIATIVES:
Workshops for children ARCHITECT: Uppal Ghosh
International basketry workshop LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT:
International jewellery workshop Mohommad Shaheer
Lectures series CLIENT: Snskriti Paristhan
AREA : 3 acres ,
OBJECTIVES: 925 sqm (covered) ,
925 sqm (semi-covered)
Creating a better understanding of different cultures through the sharing YEAR OF COMPLETION:
of art, ideas and life experiences.
Offering visibility to indigenous traditional arts and artisans, crafts and 31ST December 1993
crafts-persons
Perpetuating and strengthening cultural roots of the emerging
generation world over.

RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04

 CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KEnDRA spaces
:

RESIDENTIAL STUDIOS
MUSEUM INDIAN TEXTILES

ENTRY
LIST OF SPACES:
1. Museum Indian Textiles
2. Museums of everyday art
3. Museum Indian terracotta HAVELI
MUSEUMS OF EVERYDAY ART 4. Residential studios
5. Haveli
6. Amphitheatre/Manch
7. Baithak
8. Gaon
9. Conservation lab
10. Ceramic centre
11. Art gallery
12. artists lounge AMPHITHEATRE/MANCH
13. conference facilities
MUSEUM INDIAN TERRACOTTA 14. library
RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04
 CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KENDRA : Design concept

Public Zone Residential Zone

Outer service road

Internal Services
footpaths

Rainwater drainage
channel

Cluster of trees

SERVICE ENTRY ENTRY

The site is divided into two zones residential and public zone.
There are two entries to the site. One of them being the service entry.
The service road runs along the periphery of the site. Internal roads are mainly footpaths.
The two main natural features on site - the rainwater drainage channel that ran down the centre, and existing clumps
of trees became the major structuring elements of the layout plan.
A basic movement pattern together with the entry points was defined with activity zoning to regulate the location of buildings and
other structures according to function. The buildings are 'objects in space' separated by a variety of spaces.

RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04

 CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KENDRA : BUILDING AND
LANDSCAPE
LANDSCAPE:

The landscape was recognized as focal to

the design. Eventually the trees will
predominate the site.
The rain water channel has been
converted into a linear waterbody, the
LEVEL DIFFERENCE
nahar. This starts from a semicircular pool
SHADES OF BROWN fed by a water retention pond, passes under
a couple of foot bridges, washes up the steps
of the ghats on either side, and ends at the
BUILDING AND MATERIAL:
manch. Every open space has been
defined and has a character of its own.
The typology of the buildings is
Geometric forms, pavements, paths, and
modernist; simple, but made interesting
hedges intersperse the lawns, vans, the nahar
with varied levels, heights and spaces.
and meandering paths.
Construction materials used are RC, brick,
stone, steel, etc. EARTHY LOOK
Bhoosa reinforced plaster has been
used in many places
Ordinary cement plaster has been
textured with a steel comb to give it a
rough look.
The low profile buildings are all painted in
shades of brown, which gives them an
earthy look.

LINEAR WATERBODY LANDSCAPED GARDEN

RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04

CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KENDRA : museums
These, the most 'public' of all the
spaces, needed special attention for
clarity of movement.

MUSEUM OF INDIAN TERRA-

COTTA:
ENTRY ROOF TOP DISPLAY A series of modular units have
been carefully arranged around
MUSEUM OF EVERYDAY ART landscaped courtyard.
The module, square in plan, has
SEMI OPEN AREA been used in various forms sometimes
as just a platform, a room without a
roof, a room with roof but no walls,
and sometimes totally enclosed with
regular doors and windows..
The roof is always pyramidal as
it suits the square plan and blends
well with the scale and rural setting.
MADHUBANI DISPLAY The layout of spaces is such that a
visitor moves from one exhibit to the
next without repeating any.
MUSEUM OF INDIAN TERRA-COTTA
MUSEUM OF EVERYDAY ART :
The Museum of Everyday Art is
housed in a building sunk partly
below ground, and its roof is
effectively used as outdoor exhibition
PANEL DISPLAY terraces for the terra-cotta museum.

ENTRY RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04

CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KENDRA : BAITHAK

FRONT VIEW

GROUND FLOOR UPPER FLOOR

Functioning as the 'common room' of the BAITHAK:

Kendra, the Baithak utilizes various It is a two-storeyed structure, it is
multifunction. internally connected, both visually and
REAR VIEW physically by a double-height covered court
SPACES: with steps so configured that they can be
used as tiered seating during conferences,
1 .Lobby etc.
2 .Office The building , can be entered from
3 .Dining/Lounge various levels. Except the office and
4 .Atrium library, all other spaces flow into each other
5 .Pantry giving the interior a very open feeling.
6. Library In keeping with its supervisory role the
7 .Computer office has been strategically placed at a
8 .Store REAR VIEW higher level overlooking the entire
9 .Symposium complex.
10. Kitchen
RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04
CASE STUDY SANSKRITI KENDRA : RESIDENCES
The Programme is a retreat offered to artists and
scholars where they can reflect, interact, and create.
Over the past few years the Kendra has provided
residencies to over 300 artists, poets, scholars, and
writers from nearly 30 countries, and to some 300
crafts persons and cultural activists. Sanskriti's
Residency Programme also works in collaboration STUDIOS
with international organizations like UNESCO etc.

STUDIOS :
There are eight studios in two blocks placed
along the nahar where participants with an urban
GROUND FLOOR background can live and work.
The units are small and simple but provide a
variety of spaces, both indoor and outdoor.
Each studio is self-sufficient with private
enclosed courtyards, verandas, balconies, counters,
and aisle spaces to work in. HAVELI
The living/ dining/work space is on the lower level,
while the sleeping area is located above.
FIRST FLOOR
HAVELI:
SPACES This is the residence of OP Jain, moving force
behind the organization.
1. ENTRANCE COURT It is single storeyed, the plan is based on six and a
2. LIVING/WORK SPACE half overlapping squares with intersecting pyramidal
3. SITTING roofs.
4. DINING/KITCHEN The living, dining, bedroom and kitchen are HAVELIS COURTYARD
5. SLEEPING arranged around an aangan (courtyard).
6. UPPER LIVING
7. GARDEN RASHMI SORENG B.ARCH 4/04