CELESTIAL CITY

A Walk between the present and future

The under graduate thesis project aims at proposing a science city which provides an experiment based learning ambience to create scientific temper in the community as a whole. The goal is to explore new architectural prospects for the same.

PROJECT NAME: Celestial city

Brahmanda Science Museum (live project)

TYPE: Hub For Interdisciplinary Research

SITE: Thirupathi, Andhra Pradesh

SITE AREA: 40 Acres

LEVEL: 5 year sem 10

CLIENT: Government Of Andhra Pradesh

Secured First Place in under graduate thesis. Project selected for NIASA sotheren region “THESIS OF THE YEAR AWARD”.

A Science city the place where two types of people come. One category is the crowd comes for purpose of recreation.

The other type of crowd that comes are mostly schoolchildren. The design priorities are given to the orgnized school trips because those are the ones who will get maximum benefit out of the project in the form of knowledge.

Science cities serve as catalyst to foster Innovation. It is a system that is made in order to explain the present and future science and technology to the people in a way that could be easily understandable and foster curiosity.

“ Its aim to reflect the scientific advancement through architecture. It is to create curiosity on different field of science and engage public interaction within the hub for research”

How through architecture one can express curiosity in space?

How can public interactively engage with the process of scientific research?

The main objective of the project is be a source of learning as well as an entertainment zone, encouraging and motivating to learn to the people visiting and will be a source of attraction to someone who is not visiting by Creating building space and landscape which can reflects its vision and create interest in people on it

In order to have the competitive advantage in global market place, India has to foster innovation driven education.

To create an ‘ecosystem for innovative research’ and ‘generate science-based economic engines’ for knowledgeable workforce, both Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) and Government of India (GoI) has teamed up to build ‘Science City of Andhra Pradesh’.This proposed science museum under Science City project is mapped to transform the ‘Tirupati in to future scientific hub’.

The site is situated in the foot hills of the Thirumala. It is selected as the site for this Bramanda Science Museum because of its daily tourism.

It is accessed from the main national highway NH71. The site is in the gradual slope of the mountain. It slops towards the road.

The highest point of the site is 24 meter and the lowest point is 0 meter.

It is in the contour interval of 4 meter. But, the slope ratio is very less because of the contour distance. The average slope ratio is 1:8.

The site is located in the heart of the city and easily accessable in all means of transport.

The main access is through NH 71, which connects Tirupati to Chennai and Bangalore. This road is also connects various tourist landmark in Tirupathi. Making it an important connectivity road.

The total site area for the project is about 100 acres and it includes 4 programmes within it. It follows the building regulations according to the local law code and national NCSM. According to the NCSM, the height of the building is not restricted but the built cover should be less than 25% of the site area. The science cities should include the landscape within it. The site being located in TTD reserved forest 10% of the site should be a part of the reserved forest area. It is located near the main entrance of the Tirumala and it’s major landmarks are Zoo, NCC camp, SV medical collete etc, Being centrally located makes it eaily accessable and gives a possibility to include in the main tourist attraction.The land use of the site surrounding is mentioned in the chart 2.

Existing site is contour with slop which makes it easy to drain.. Site is easily accessable by all kind of vehicle. site offers large amount of views

Being a pilgrimage city, it is difficult to create a landmark for science. Micro climate offered due to foot hills.

Centrally located makes it easy accessable to all institutions. The future Government plans facilitate it to function well.

There is already a Regional science center adjacent to it. Wild life sanctuary and forest area around it.

Ramped roof becomes the part of landscape connecting different museum togethere.

The approch of the buildings through the plaza

Utilizing the countour, building to follow the cut and fill technique.

Building around green space.

Double skined facade to cut of solar radiation . Sloped roof which rampes down to the plaza which connects the museums togethere. Roof becomes a part of landscaped plazas.

The open plaza between each museum acts as a transition space between them. It offers the platform for different outdoor exihibits and tempravory gathering.

Plaza placed it different level of contour connect the museums as one .

SITE AREA : 40 ACRES ( within 100 acres)

PERMISIBLE COVERAGE : 25 % OF THE SITE AREA

TOTAL BUILT UP AREA : 19 ACRES

TOTAL NO OF PARKING : 285 CARSS 100 TWO WHEELERS 4 BUSES

SETBACK : 7M FRONT WITH SPLAY SIDE 4M

ACCESS ROAD : NH71 15M WIDE ROAD

The idea was to represent the abstract form of seven hills of thirumala, as per the client requirement

MAIN VEHICULAR CIRCULATION

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

SERVICE CIRCULATION

ACCESS TO THE BUILDING

PLAZA

EVOLUTION AND RAIN FOREST MUSEUM

PLANETARIUM

Each museum are connected to the plaza. They acts as the outdoor exhibits for the museum.

The circulation connecting each museum creates a loop with large central green void

Pedestrian bridge connecting each plazas passes through the central park

AIR, SPACE AND DE FENCE MUSEUM

ARTS AND SCIENCE MUSEUM

FOOD COURT

ROOF PLAN

ROOF PLAN

ROOF PLAN

SECOND FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

ARTS AND SCIENCE MUSEUM is placed as the first museum, which is accessed from the entrance plaza. It is connected through roof to the next plazas. The roof slopes down to the next level to the plaza above i.e. evolution plaza. Thus making the circulation space as the roof

EVOLUTION AND EVERGREEN FOREST MUSEUM is set at the level of contour 12 m accessed from evolution plaza, which acts as outdoor exhibit area. The building is ground + 1 (12 m high) which sits on two contours. The front side is zoned for the evolution museum and the back side is for evergreen forest museum.

AIR SPACE AND DEFENSE MUSEUM is the 3rd museum in the series which connects the Space plaza and the Transport plaza. The main idea is to create stepped courtyard space, so the exhibits are visually connected to one another. Each courtyards are planned to hold a miniature aircrafts and missiles.

TRANSPORT MUSEUM is the 4th museum in the complex. The main function of this is to exhibit the evolution of different transport.The central staircase which connects the floor has different platforms on different heights to exhibit the vehicles. Thus this acts as an connectivity and interaction space.

MEDIA MUSEUM which acts as a connecting building between the Transport plaza and the road. From the roof it is connected to the Transport plaza. It has the series of steps which also acts as a amphitheater. The steps connects the plaza to the first floor of the museum. Thus

CHILDREN MUSEUM is placed in the entrance plaza. Its function is to perform as an gathering space to exhibit the children work and also acts as an Sunday school. Research labs and library. Planning wise , this museum is separated from the other museum for the purpose of security and for working all day long

The Aerial view above shows the entrance plaza and its connections. The buildings are arranged in such a way that the view of one building is not disturbed by another. It is placed in an angle to ensure its captures most of the northern lights and follows the passive cooling technique. Each museum are connected to each other through plazas forming a loop.

The center of the loop becomes the landscape area with biodome and other herbal gardens. Service road runs around the site connecting the fire escape of all the museum.

This service road is just for the purpose of fire escape and transportation of heavy display. The whole site is pedestrianized in such a way that vehicular movement is restricted until the entrance plaza.