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
-
Vestre’s neo-brutalist furniture will bring ‘a little madness’ to Paris Fashion WeekBound for Paris Men’s Fashion Week this month, Norwegian furniture brand Vestre reveals a sculptural bench and mirror created with designer Vincent Laine and fashion creative Willy Cartier – the latest outcome of its risk-taking ‘a little madness’ initiative
-
For its latest runway show, Zegna creates a serene oasis in DubaiThe Italian fashion house took over the Dubai Opera for a S/S 2026 show that proposed a lived-in elegance, drawing inspiration from Dubai’s sunbaked landscapes and Zegna’s birthplace of Trivero
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers LondonThe South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secretPierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
-
This Ahmedabad house is enclosed within a curved concrete shellThis Ahmedabad house by Achyutam Designs is a homage to concrete and a celebration of the curve, a family house designed to flow into its surroundings
-
In New Delhi, a home designed to embrace light and landscapeA New Delhi house, Architecture Discipline’s Lighthouse, arranges a generous family residence and pool house around an expansive garden
-
Shalini Misra’s Delhi home is a seasonal sanctuary ‘made in India’Interior designer Shalini Misra’s retreat in the Indian capital champions modernist influences, Islamic ancestry and local craftsmanship
-
A triplex Mumbai penthouse contains sculptural staircases and expansive terracesEnso House is a multigenerational Mumbai penthouse by S+PS Architects that combines a reorganised interior programme with bespoke finishes and crafts
-
This ‘architourism’ trip explores India’s architectural history, from Mughal to modernismArchitourian is offering travellers a seven-night exploration of northern India’s architectural marvels, including Chandigarh, the city designed by Le Corbusier
-
At the Institute of Indology, a humble new addition makes all the differenceContinuing the late Balkrishna V Doshi’s legacy, Sangath studio design a new take on the toilet in Gujarat
-
The Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s final project, glows anew after a two-year closureAfter years of restoration, a modernist jewel and a treasure trove of British artwork can be seen in a whole new light
