Critical Appraisal on 3 Landscape

Projects in India
LANDSCAPE ELECTIVE

Soumitra | B.Arch. 7th Semester | 1140100451

The India Habitat Centre (IHC) is located along the Lodhi Road on the fringes of Lutyens Delhi. Spread over nine acres
of land IHC has a built-up area of approximately one million square feet. The L shaped site has frontage on the three
sides. It is bounded by the Max Muller Marg on west, the Vardhman Marg on south and the Lodhi road on the north.
The Fourth side is flanked by Bal Bharthi School. The complex is accessible from three sides, the major pedestrian
entrance being from Lodhi road on the north.

Each internal courtyard has been designed to impart a distinct-identity to the spaces and is conducive to the type of
functions or activities that can be anticipated. This has been achieved by paving patterns in different materials, the
use of water, a play of levels and plants. One of the reasons why the courtyard is so comfortable is because of its scale.
It is monumental.

The tall building masses enclosing the large space in the center are completed by the huge palms & other trees, which
tower to the roof. Yet, in spite of the monumental scale, one does not feel lost in this space. There are plants along the
base of the large trees scaled to the human height, which help in breaking down the scale. The edge of the planters
doubles up as seating spaces for the people. The mystery of the space is further accentuated with level differences &
steps leading to enclosed spaces and even a half concealed amphitheater. There are strategically placed sculptures
which give an artistic touch to the spaces.

Stepped planters serve as sitting spaces too.

Palm trees have been planted to create a refreshing environment inside.

Sculptures have been placed at strategic points creating an element of interest.

Water ponds are provided to cut the rigidity of harsh materials.

The roof of the building, too, is designed as a series of terraces, which have been entirely converted into roof gardens.

The external spaces have a more formal quality, to act as a foreground for the building.

The facades abound in window boxes, where plants further soften the wall surfaces
The Parliament Library of India is located at the heart of Lutyens urban design for New Delhi. To the northwest of Bakers
Parliament House. Responding to the Parliaments giant colonnade, the Library features a meticulously ordered cluster of
circular forms, organized cross-axially, and configuring an incomplete square. Inspirations from ancient temples and
palaces have been distilled into a contemporary vocabulary that is shaped and textured by the memory of places and the
geometry of latticework.

The site is close to the majestic complex of imperial buildings that flank the expansive Rajpath (Kingsway). The avenue
runs for two kilometers from east to west, from Lutyens Viceroys House (now the residential palace Rashtrapati Bhawan)
and Bakers twin secretariat buildings (now ministries) to India Gate, Lutyens war memorial. The site chosen for the
Parliament Library was formerly wooded (a plant nursery).

The land slopes slightly from the western edge towards the center, and the new building is carved into this topography,
with two basement floors cut into the earth.
 The slope and existing trees on the west and south edges of the site are left fairly untouched. The building opens up
towards the western corner, allowing the topography and the greenery to come into contact with its inner core.
The garden is terraced at the northwest tip of the site to accommodate underground parking next to the basement level
of the auditorium.

The site was a forested area that formerly functioned as a plant nursery. Perhaps as a reminder of this parkland, the
landscaping project undertook dense planting in three domains: the garden around the building, the courtyards and
the roof garden.
The surrounding garden has a gently sloped lawn and tall trees that predate the project. The three courtyards around
the central core are richly planted with flowering shrubs and trees.
The roof is also planted with flowers, groundcover shrubs and grass. The garden at this level provides a gathering space
for scholars and parliamentarians in the winter and a thermal barrier in the summer.
The hard landscape is entirely of sandstone, including all outdoor lamps, perforated garden walls and pavements. The
pink sandstone pavements have special units with drainage holes used in the courtyards.
Each of the three courtyards is characterized by a different landscape element: the southwest courtyard (surrounded
by the MPs Reading Room, Scholars Library and Bureau of Parliamentary Studies) has a three-tier amphitheater; the
southeast courtyard (surrounded by the Committee Room, Banquet Hall and Press Centre) a large tree and the
Ahilyabai statue; the northeast courtyard (surrounded by Research and Archives, Reception, Cafeteria) has a reflective
pool.
The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the
University Grants Commission to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian
universities. IUCAA is located in the University of Pune campus next to the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, which
operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. IUCAA has a campus designed by Indian architect Charles Correa.

The IUCAA in the Pune University campus, has given Indian architecture perhaps one of its most vivid and copied open
spaces - a series of courtyards. We can see the playful nature of building as soon as we march towards it. It has three main
courtyards flanked by the various functions and two main roads passing toward its periphery which marks the importance
of this building.

A huge courtyard with many different elements representing the expanding universe (the big bang), and many stone
blocks scattered along the diagonal of the courtyard, starting from formal to informal organization.
These stone blocks, were asteroids scattered in space resulted from to the big bang. The matter of over scale of
courtyard with respect to the building was intelligently solved by placing blown up sculptures in scale to courtyard
scale.
 One of the smaller courtyards flanking the central one is designed as a Binary Star - accomodating two Ficus trees
already growing with the courtyard, such that the plan of the courtyard largely corresponded to the image of a Binary
star and its resultant three dimensional gravitational space (Roche lobe) given above.
The other courtyard is more two dimensional with a planting arrangement in the form of a Sierpenski triangle.
The central courtyard is surrounded by Research Labs marked by the sculpture of Aryabhatta, Library marked by the
sculpture of Newton, domed entrance marked by the sculpture of Galileo and classrooms marked by the sculpture of
Einstein.
All the colors used inside and outside the building were chosen from the shades found from the elements of our Space
and the Milky Way.
Possibly, the planting of perimeter trees is also some sort of a solar-based calendar, each tree blooming/ shedding leaves
at a particular time of the year- a Nakshatra Vana (Garden of the Constellations) perhaps.
The blend of ancient and modern and the dualisms contained therein, make IUCAA a poignant exploration as a designed
space. As a place, it is a testimony to the fact that architecture can elevate any function from the mundane to something
esoteric, yet rooted.