Under the Banyan
Fall 2012
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
Critic / Dr. Prabhjot Singh Sugga, Kapil Mathur
fields of Punjab, India
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perspective / lunchtime in the fields, pavilion at the intersection of crop aisles
Air. Breeze. Wind. Storm. The invisible force with grades of robustness. The omnipresent ghost that caresses, scares, and breathes life. Never seen, never spoken to, its presence is felt, heard, and experienced. The exercise is aimed to manifest a basic element in the form of usable space. This pavilion taps the energy of the air by the subtle creation of sound. The setting is an open meadow. Clothed by a panoramic view with no physical obstructions, the wind grazes like a free spirit as it speaks through its care and its wrath. Its care is felt through a soothing and sweet ringing of metal. Its wrath, an angry clangor suggesting farmers retire inside. And finally, its static disposition felt as an eerie silence.
The shelter is reminiscent of the platform under the banyan tree. The chimes form the thicket of hanging aerial roots and the clear cover allows light to penetrate through, emanating a soft Tyndall effect. The platform is the locus of village life where the elders exchange political views and children play with marbles. The wind is your host as it plays muzak. It is an arpeggio that enables you to think, talk, play, or just bask in the sun or the shimmer of the moonlight.
isometric / structural and material components
(above) sitting solo
(bottom) group lunch
(bottom) group lunch
(above) panchayat conversations
(below) game of hopscotch
(below) game of hopscotch
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