Lok Katha Musuem

lok katha CULTURAL FORMS shreya mehta pdp 301

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INTRODUCTION The word ‘Culture‘ has been resounding in our everyday lives.

But what exactly does one mean, when one says ‘culture’? Is it found just in the tangible evidence around us, or does it run deeper, influencing our daily lives? Is it the traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation, or new ways of living, discovered every day.

Perhaps there really is no one way of defining what culture is.

But no matter the definition, the culture of a society is a window, a way of peeking into the collective conscious of a community, to reveal the many stories it holds in the most mundane objects of life.

VISUAL MAPPING OF THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CULTURE

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STUDY OF CULTURE The first step of the vast journey towards the understanding of culture was to study the culture of one’s own city, and really try to define what culture entails. It forced me to look back to the city and scrutinize the various aspects of it, and see it through the lens of Cultural Forms.

This eventually became the foundation of the final project.

SOME SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTATION

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A LIVING TESTIMONY In my research and study of culture, its definition and its implication, one glaring characteristic always stood out: the apparent disconnect between the ages when these practices were formed and the contemporary ages. As is evident in a lot of cases, the stories are lost in the passage of time, which may be one of the factors for the decline in interest towards these narratives.

A structure, which has stood the test of time, to narrate a testimony of practices long past, is perhaps our best chance at reliving a piece of forgotten history. Virupaksha temple thus became an important stepping stone towards understanding culture as well as the process of studying a structure.

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case studies As we moved towards the more specialized study of culture, we also explored the very core of what a museum is. Is it a place where ancient objects are displayed, expecting the audience to draw their own conclusions, or can it be more engaging than that?

The study of various museums world- wide: Guggenheim Museum- USA, Jewish MuseumGermany, NGMA- Delhi and Crafts Museum Delhi, led me to look beyond the conventional ideas of a museum, and in turn, apply the same to my design.

THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

THE JEWISH MUSEUM

national gallery of modern art

THE crafts MUSEUM

The Guggenheim was conceived as a temple of the spirit. It has remained one of the most admired as well as the most disputed designs of our times. Its uniqueness lies in the blank slate-like design of the building, which lets the works of art displayed form their own narrative.

The museum stands as a reminder of the Holocaust.

It is really interesting to see how the designer has taken a very intense subject and has translated that into his minimalistic design. To see a museum without any objects on display, led me to see the concept in a different light.

The museum was a pioneer for modern art in India. It soon became the center of art movements of the country.

This museum has as much historical importance as its contents and is an important example of the influence of the site and building of the museum itself

In a country where handicrafts have long been threatened, a museum which gives a platform for these crafts is immensely important. Along with a subject, this museum by Charles Correa also showcases a variety of rural vernacular forms of architecture.

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searching for narratives The final project brief was to design an interactive museum within Pune.

Pune already has 8 other museums, which cover various topics from the Peshwas to miniature trains. What then can be missing in a place so rife with history?

As I pursued this question, I realized that the prominent rulers and dignitaries have already been given a chance to tell their respective stories. The missing narrative, however, was the common man. In a land filled to the brim with epic stories, a simpler form of everyday life is a breath of fresh air. Pune boasts of a mix of people from different parts of the state as well as the country, each bringing in an ingredientarchitecture, arts or crafts. An exhibit of these characteristics becomes an exhibit of the customs they come from. While these are much more generalized, I also sought to look at more personal narratives, to make these histories more relatable and in turn, try to answer the question, why should we study the past at all.

PUNE

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development of context After nailing down the narrative, I moved on to looking for a location in Pune for the project. After various considerations, I decided to make the museum on the banks of the Mula Mutha river, where, originally the city was created.

Along with the location, I also listed the various auxillary considerations of the project, such as : • Patronage for local arts, performing arts and crafts.

• Recreational spaces rooted in the context.

• Ecological development and creation of green lung.

• Constantly rejuvenated space, with new exhibitions and performances, relevant to the contemporary arts.

THE MUSEUM AND ITS CONTENT

EMPLOYEMENT OF LOCAL ARTISTS

MULTI PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE RIVER

REVIVAL OF THE RIVER ECOLOGY

LAYERED APPROACH TO THE CONTEXT

IDEATION SKETCHES

IDEATION SKETCHES

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form study- musuem The research into Pune also showed a very strong connection between individual narratives and architectural forms. Each community which came to Pune left its mark through these old and fascinating structures. For the museum, along with the content, I also wanted the interiors to reflect this history. I drew inspiration from the Pataleshwar Temple, various wadas, and colonial structures, to arrive at my final form.

This room is inspired by the Pataleshwar Temple, made in the 8th century. I wanted to replicate the rhythmic succession of pillars, and the spaciousness created thereafter. This room would have various projections of the stories and films about the history of Pune, as well as important films in the local language.

This room is inspired by the traditional Wada architecture of Pune. its prominent elements are a large courtyard as well as wood pillars. This room acts as a gallery for the display of any personal relics, like letters, photographs, and everyday items. The collection displayed here can be crowdsourced from the people of Pune.

This library is inspired by the British style of architecture in Pune, prominent during the era of British Raj. The characteristic columns and brickwork are replicated here. The library is meant to house books, audio, and video archives, as well as a human library.

The facade of the museum was inspired by the Ajanta caves. Not only is the building carved into the land like the caves. it also has a plain facade which hardly reveals what lies inside.

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form study- site The landscaping of the surrounding areas of the museum became crucial. While it took me some time to arrive at the form, I was very keen on making the landscape specialized to Pune. Hence, I looked for inspiration in the hillocks and forests around Pune, and most importantly, the various forts built there, exclusively for the way they were built in tandem with their surroundings.

The first picture, of the Pratapgad, was the trigger for me to work on the levels on site. As is visible from the pictures, the landscape of Pune is characterized by meandering paths, gentle plateaus, and abundant greenery.

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final form After a number of iterations, I was able to create a design which I think best suited the context. The final Drawings are as follows:

There is a lot of play in levels on site. The idea is to replicate the various landscape around Pune while still keeping the basic principles of accessibility in mind. The levels have been made in such a way, that from the road level, the deck of the museum is visible. But it’s when one actually enters that they realize there are various parts to be explored before you reach the deck.

The market place is to be a space for the local artists of bamboo, copper, and silk to exhibit their skills. In this space, the audience gets a first-hand chance at experiencing these crafts, and thus appreciate the making and skills of these artists.

This zone was meant to recreate one of the steep slopes on which gads or forts are usually made. This made up the mountain can then be used for rock- climbing. The seating for this area is in the form of small mounds along the path.

This zone is meant to recreate the mountains and waterfalls around Pune. The plateaus around the water body are made in such a way that when it rains, all the water from these areas would drain into the lake.

The museum in its totality would look like this.

The structure also houses a cafe in its premises.

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reflective statement This project has been different than what I have done before. I have never worked on a concept so rooted in the context, which had a to fulfill a multitude of purposes. To take something so huge in scale and to implement to the best of my abilities has definitely made me grow in terms of my skills as well as ideation.

The unit has also been beneficial in refining my processes, tangible as well intangible, which one uses long before one produces any drawings.