Sanjay Puri Architects has designed a museum wrapped by grey fluid concrete in the city of Nathdwara, India. 

Named Aatma Manthan Museum, the 1,672-square-metre museum is located within the base of the 270-foot (82-meter) high statue of belief in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India.

The museum was designed to provoke self analysis by combining the body (tann), mind (mana), and soul (aatma) in a holistic manner. 

Sanjay Puri Architects-designed Aatma Manthan Museum was awarded the WA Awards 10+5+X 48th Cycle in the Interior Design/Realized category. 

The entire area is split up into a number of rooms that each provide a unique experience by depicting natural elements in immersive ways, all in keeping with the museum's concept of what needs to be portrayed.

Entry to the museum is accessed via a spacious foyer that is meant to be a flowing volume. 

A thin layer of foam concrete is evenly finished over the walls, ceiling, structural columns, reception desk, and seating benches. 

This layer encapsulates each component seamlessly and absorbs sound at the same time.

Before entering any of the eighteen carefully designed zones, visitors are transported to a state of calmness by this sculpture volume, which is encased in a concrete grey. 

From this vast entrance, visitors are directed to a short, winding hallway lined with pictures depicting the creation of the museum. Subsequently, each room is explored individually, showcasing distinct themes through immersive experiences and audiovisual elements.

In order to improve the audiovisual and immersive experiences within, the museum's design overcomes the difficulty of working with an uneven floor plan that has several structural elements. Instead, it creates a sequential flow of volumes and experiences with a neutral palette throughout.

Floor plan

Section

Sanjay Puri Architects was founded by Sanjay Puri and Nina Puri in 1992 in India. The firm, led by founding partners Sanjay Puri and Nina Puri, has won architectural projects in Australia, Spain, Montenegro, UAE, Oman, and Dallas USA, and are currently involved in the design of projects in 36 Indian cities.

Sanjay Puri is a Honorary Member of the World Architecture Community. 

Project facts

Project Name: Aatma Manthan Museum 

Architect: Sanjay Puri Architects

Lead Architect: Sanjay Puri

Design Team: Madhavi Belsare, Payal Raut, Subodh Amin

Location: Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Client Name: Tatpadam Upvan

Location: Nathdwara, India

Start Date: January 2024

Completion Date: August 2024

Carpet Area: 18,000 SQ.FT. 

Consultants:

Interior design Consultant: Sanjay Puri Architects

MEP consultants: Resonance Mep consultants

Lighting consultant: Ashish Thakkar 

AV consultant: Mr. Avijit Samajdar, Axis Three Dee Studios Pvt. 

Acoustic consultant: Sonosphere Acoustic design consulting.

Contractors: 

Interior Contractors: Sidcon Projects, Mumbai

Electrical contractor: Shivalik Industrial Engineering, Mumbai

HVAC Contractor: Imperial Systems, Ahmedabad

PMC: Miraj Developers Ltd.

All images © Vinay Panjwani.

All drawings © Sanjay Puri Architects.

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