Indian architecture studio Wallmakers has turned an art hub's spacious roof into an open air amphitheatre in Ernakulum, Kerala, India. 

Named Nisarga Art Hub, the 2,557-square-foot (238-square-metre) project emerged as a new initiative by a family of musicians to make a community residency where people can interact and congregate for art and cultural events. 

The hub, creating the fifth façade, is distinguished through its large trinagular rooft that covers the hub. While the structure does not give any clues about the interior spaces from afar, the dominance of the roof on the land is expanded with skylights and seating areas.

The two-storey Nisarga Art Hub consists of entry, a living area, dining space, kitchen, work area, bedrooms, toilets and recording studio.

Wallmakers was inspired by the traditional “Kerala Roofs” that are being the only feature crowding the horizon around it, where the site takes place near a paddy field. 

"Even though these traditional roofs are famous for being the ideal insulators and temperature regulators, it’s a waning feature in contemporary architecture today, simply because the darkness it brings is not suited to the modern man’s comfort and aesthetics," said Vinu Daniel, founder of Wallmakers. 

"Thus the idea to break open the roof to accommodate skylights that stream in the light was conceived."  

According to the architect, the 35° angle of the roof matched perfectly the 30° angle of an Open Air Amphitheater. Based on this feature, the architect developed the idea that the same skylights could be used as seating areas for the audience.

Daniel added a series of wooden planks that could be set on the swimming pool, and as he noted, "it immediately doubles up as a stage for open-air concerts that can accommodate 75-80 people."

A view from a concert

The building provides a separate entry to the hub so that activities can happen parallelly above undisturbed, opens into a large living space overlooking the field.

Entry to the home

The project has open and flexible interior spaces where the occupants mostly use the wooden floors for interacting with visitors and for dining. 

According to the architect, this was the preference of the clients who advocated the benefits of the ‘Padmasana’ position (Sitting Lotus Pose). 

Skylight

The walls were built by using Wallmakers' patented Shuttered Debris Wall Technique, made with construction debris collected from the neighbouring town and soil from the site, is entirely load-bearing. This technique supports even a 4-metre cantilevered recording studio in the first floor. 

Guest rooms were placed on the west facing side of the hub which are protected with discarded racks collected from a scrapyard, that became the grills and allowed for a curtain of creepers to shield it from the afternoon sun. 

On the roof, the architect strategically designed breaks to allow light to stream in, diffused by Jute Sack rolls and permit for the hot air to escape. 

"Reclaimed laterite blocks from demolished buildings form the verandah in front of the home reminiscent of the old “Muttams” of traditional Kerala homes," said Vinu Daniel. 

Dining area

Daniel said that "the building is designed like music-where the pauses between the notes are more important than the notes themselves. Where the built architecture stops and the empty spaces in between speaks volumes."

Dining table

Bedroom

Muttam

Bedroom 

Bedroom interior

Bedroom on the top floor

Bedroom

Entry

Exterior view

Living area

Living area

Living

The Floating Recording Studio

Toilet

Wash area

Night View

Site plan

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Section

Section

Elevation

Elevation

Wallmakers was founded in 2007 by Vinu Daniel. The firm focuses on minimizing carbon footprint in buildings by working with natural materials, such as mud and waste originating in and imported to, India.

The Ledge, situated on a cliff overlooking Peeremedu in the South of KeralaIndia, and IHA Residence in the busy city of Thiruvananthapuram, India, are among key projects of the office.

Wallmakers was awarded the 2022 Royal Academy Dorfman Award for Architecture. 

"We Must Give Back To The Site" Wallmakers Founder Vinu Daniel said in WAC's exclusive interview. 

Project facts

Project name: Nisarga Art Hub

Architects: Wallmakers

Lead Architects: Vinu Daniel, Oshin Mariam Varughese

Junior Architects: Subhrodipta Ghosh, Rosh V. Saji

Location: Ernakulum, Kerala, India. 

Size: 238m2

Completion Year: 2023

All images © Syam Sreesylam.

All drawings © Wallmakers.

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