Rahul Jadon
 Faculty of Architecture UPTU | Lucknow

 Introduction to project

Often, we ignore the legacy we have in our hands, not realizing how lucky we are to have that sort of inspiration around us or how valuable that is. Very few cities are as lucky as Ahmedabad, a very progressive and pragmatic city, which had had insertions/ proposals by the three greatest Master Architects of the Twentieth Century – Le Corbusier, Louis Isadore Kahn (IIM) and Frank Lloyd Wright (proposal for Calico Administration Building) and other great Indian architects of century. Le Corbusier, apart from being a man of vision and versatility – the theory for the topic of concern for this particular competition i.e. the concept of the Musée à croissance illimitée (museum of unlimited growth). Sanskar Kendra was a part of an extensive cultural and education project that Le Corbusier repeatedly envisioned and never built. The program as per the need included not only museum of history but museums of anthropology, archaeology, ethnography along with exhibition area, restaurants, open air theatre etc. 

 Since 1992, museum displays history of city, freedom movement and in dependence struggle, textile craft, architecture and also Gujarati literature. On the second floors the museum is partially used for elections.as an office of election commission and store.“Inadequate design combined with poor maintenance put paid to the creepers; the earth has been removed and the deteriorated through patched up. The box has become silent (or as expressive) as a cargo ware house and in absence of a sufficient number of exhibitions. 

Corbusier formulated his idea of an unlimited growth museum  my quest in this project is to keep alive, this saga of constant up gradation and experimentation. The search for contextual relevance and adaptation over changing times is the preoccupation of this particular research and design work as I believe that it’s an obligation on my part to reflect upon the legacy that I have received, to remold it (if required) and further reapply it contextually.The grounds upon which the project rests, lies in the revitalization of existing cultural complex and re-interpretation of the long lost but still soulfully pertaining to the fundamental design principles of Le-Corbusier – his design ideals and the way he used to impart the various deep impacts of his designs into his spaces. The project is emphasized at reliving the same old legacy, but, in accordance to the existing urban, functional, socio-economic context, current scenario of the city and the surroundings of the site. The project is architecturally and culturally relevant and has a lot of potential to expand and grow. The surrounding area lacks open, green spaces or any sort of congregation spaces, so this site would be laid out in a way so as to leave a lot of space for congregations, conventions, social activities, haats and play.The intent is also to take functional retention to a new level, improve upon it in such a way that revitalization does not act as a hindrance to current activities on the site which actually act as the real revenue generator for the local caretaking authority. And to create new ways for its economic revitalization, which is also a part of architectural concern.

Architectural and conceptual strategies

Attempt to complete and complement, to comprehend, reinterpret and reinstate.

Retentions and reinterpretation’s of Corbusier’s ideas

The basic driving conceptual strategy was the reinterpretation of the concept of the Museum of Unlimited Growth as conceived by Le Corb, in which he had envisaged a continuously horizontally growing spiral contained within a grid and a box which would be able to cater to the growing collection of any volume. The setting of the site and the context inherent therein have also to be in some way incorporated. This context goes beyond just the built and the unbuilt, and veers and ventures towards society, economy, philosophy and culture.