Ireo Gallery
For display of architectural works
New Delhi, India
"Building a quarry"
In midst of an increasingly public & culturally significant domain of
a shopping mall, this project covering a meagre 125 square meters
attempts to recreate the spatial experience of an excavated quarry for
the public to experience a bare aesthetic.
By manipulating & exposing building materials like cement, aggregate
and steel, an unexpected agglomeration gets transformed into a gallery
for showcasing large architectural projects for a leading property
development company. Skillfully arranged along the existing building
structure, large cast in-situ concrete blocks cascade to form tactile
enclosures. Blocks have been cast in multiple tiers and varying
thicknesses, allowing for vertical juxtaposition and sharp cuts;
visual characteristics similar to those in a stone quarry. The surface
quality of concrete has been intentionally kept porous to emphasize
upon the primitive & bare surface accentuated with lighting. The
rendering light on these ossified surfaces lends a sublime quality to
the atmosphere inside. Intriguing spaces emerge to visually expand the
entrance; and at other times, compress themselves into quiet areas for
a meeting. A series of screens made of tor-steel meshes at the
entrance provide a robust pre-cursor to the contemplative gallery
beyond.
The ‘quarry’ here is built, not excavated; a delightful paradox that
helps to cast arresting spaces. Reinforcing a raw aesthetic in common with geological excavations, rather than the current trend of
the context helps to establish a unique identity for the sales
gallery. The gallery thus provides spaces to the public to interact
and enquire about latest architectural projects using riveting audio
visual projections & meticulously crafted models.
2011
2011
Site area - 1350sqft
Client - Ireo India Pvt. Ltd.
Structural engineering - T.P. Singh
Lighting + Electricals - Manav Bhargava, Mandala
Wakhloo, Priyank Jain, Hitesh Katiyar, Rachit Shrivastav, Mukesh Kumar
Ireo Architecture Gallery by matra in India won the WA Award Cycle 34. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.
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