Sangath
200best ES
Balkrishna Doshi
1981
Type
Office
Tags
creative spaces, local drive , 200Best, passive systems, building with nature
Visitability
Allowed
Description
According to the description given on Doshi's studio website, Sangath is a place where "one learns, unlearns and learns again". Living up to the meaning of Sangath (to unite through participation), the Indian master's studio is also a centre for reflection and research on environmental design, a meeting place for young designers from all over the world who are committed to sustainability.Its architecture is a synthesis of Doshi's architectural values. A microcosm of indoor and outdoor spaces where water, trees, air and animals are part of the place. The ensemble is composed through the repetition of vaulted modules that rise above a changing topography. The entrance is via a winding path that continues inside, leading into a route of half-buried spaces where the space contracts and expands according to the height of the vaults. Outside, a small amphitheatre carved into the topography serves as an open-air discussion and meeting place. Sangath's architecture reflects Doshi's interest in the richness of in-between spaces in Indian architecture. The thresholds and functionally ambiguous spaces are part of the richness of the ensemble, a synthesis of Indian vernacular and modern architecture.