DEFYING THE CONSTRAINTS OF A SMALL BUDGET, THE YOUNG INDIAN DESIGNERS OF MORPHOGENESIS HAVE SUCCESSFULLYINSERTED AN ICONIC BUILDING INTO AN ANONYMOUS INDUSTRIAL ZONE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF JAIPUR

摘要

Architectural gems can be discovered in the most unlikely places. On a normal day on the national highway from New Delhi, one would zip past the Kukas industrial area, which lies about 20 kilometres before the famous walled city of Jaipur. Even the imposing presence of the Le Meridien Hotel near the entrance to Kukas - a kitschy rendition of Rajasthani classicism - does little to inspire confidence that there is worthwhile architecture nearby. But one is suitably rewarded if driven inside by curiosity or tipped off by an informer. In an expanse of nondescript factories and institutional buildings - a strange mix by any standard - one finds a building that is enigmatically beautiful, a simply symmetrical cuboid, its dappled facade breaking the harsh sun and its whiteness reflecting like marble.rnIn a time when most buildings tend to be self-conscious elaborations of affected intent, the Pearl Academy of Fashion employs an unusual economy of means to restore the gravitas and monumentally befitting an educational institution. The architects' restraint is the result of a strict design brief: that the building must be constructed within a tight budget of 1,400 rupees per square foot, yet should be fully air conditioned, well lit and spacious. Necessity mothered an inventive design, and a passive solar architecture combined with a contemporary aesthetic led the ideation. The architect took lessons from the built heritage of Rajasthan, replete with havetis, inward-looking blocks with rooms along corridors and in enfilade, surrounding a single or multiple courtyards. The haveli typologyrnepitomises the idea of the building as adevice for environment control, where the solid-void balance is calibrated for maximum daylight penetration, minimum heat ingress and the accommodation of multiple functions.