The Indian city of Lucknow has just welcomed a striking cultural addition in the shape of the newly opened Jai Prakash Narayan Interpretation Centre. This imposing piece of architecture is a tribute to the titular socialist ideologue and Indian activist (or ‘JP’, as he was often fondly addressed).
Designed by Noida-based architecture firm Archohm Consults, headed by architect Sourabh Gupta, the monolithic structure is shaped as a massive 27m-high wedge that supports an arch spanning 20m. This, with a height of 9m, acts as a sculpted entry point to the centre.
The building should both symbolically reflect JP’s personality as a loknayak – ‘hero of the people’ – and serve as a gateway to the surrounding JP International Centre, explain the architects. So, making the most of its overall shape to add an appropriate dose of drama, they designed the top to offer unparalleled vantage points and panoramic views of the city’s Ram Manohar Lohia Park and the Convention Centre nearby.
Spread over a site area of 18.6 acres, the programme is divided into four zones that presuppose the intent in their names – ‘Absorption’ sits in the lower floor plates, ‘Reflection’ is housed half way through the vertical ascent, ‘Introspection’ lives in the upper floors and ‘Contemplation’ occupies the topmost part of the structure. Respectively, the double-height basement, with a floor plate of 1,350 sq m, floats alongside water bodies on either side; the first floor hosts photography galleries extending upwards to the second level; and the uppermost floor plate frames spectacular vistas, while staggering downwards to eventually merge into the amphitheatre and the public level plaza on the ground level.
Taking cues from JP’s personality – honest and unpretentious, as he is remembered to be – the building’s materials comprise ventilated dry terracotta cladding on the triangular façade, in conjunction with dark honed and flamed granite that was chosen for symbolising grounding and stability.
Designed by Noida-based architecture firm Archohm Consults, the building draws on Narayan's personality and reputation, while also serving as a gateway to the nearby JP International Centre
The structure's massive 27m-high wedge supports an arch spanning 20m, which acts as a sculpted entry point to the centre
The top level offers striking views of the city’s Ram Manohar Lohia Park and the Convention Centre
The accessible roof eventually merges into an amphitheatre and the public level plaza on the ground level
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Archohm Consults website
Photography: Andre J Fanthome
-
Wallpaper* Gift Guides: What beauty editor Mary Cleary has on her wishlistWallpaper* contributing beauty editor Mary Cleary shares the items she is hoping to unwrap this holiday season – from transporting fragrances to a must-have skincare device
-
A Dutch visitor centre echoes the ‘rising and turning’ of the Wadden SeaThe second instalment in Dorte Mandrup’s Wadden Sea trilogy, this visitor centre and scientific hub draws inspiration from the endless cycle of the tide
-
Hyundai is the latest car company to get into robotics: meet the Mobile Eccentric DroidThe MobED is a new product from Hyundai’s Robotics LAB, pitched at last-mile delivery and industrial applications
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
A refined Indian country residence reimagines the farmhouseSet among Karnataka’s rolling fields and forest, House by the Grove by Taliesyn Design & Architecture combines modern materials with an open approach to the elements
-
Half bridge, half home: Wallmakers’ latest project takes architecture to daring new heightsHovering above a forest stream in Maharashtra, Bridge House in Maharashtra, India pushes the limits of engineering and eco-conscious design
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
-
The Grand Egyptian Museum – a monumental tribute to one of humanity’s most captivating civilisations – is now completeDesigned by Heneghan Peng Architects, the museum stands as an architectural link between past and present on the timeless sands of Giza
-
Cascading greenery softens the brutalist façade of this Hyderabad homeThe monolithic shell of this home evokes a familiar brutalist narrative, but designer 23 Degrees Design Shift softens the aesthetic by shrouding Antriya in lush planting
-
A lush Bengaluru villa is a home that acts as a vessel for natureWith this new Bengaluru villa, Purple Ink Studio wanted gardens tucked into the fabric of the home within this urban residence in India's 'Garden City'
-
Brick by brick, a New Delhi home honours India’s craft traditionsRLDA Studio's Brick House works with the building block's expressive potential to create a dynamic residence with a façade that reveals patterns that change with the sun and shadows
