Aatma Manthan Museum

Within the base of the 270 feet high statue of belief in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India, a museum to evoke self analysis bringing together a holistic combination of the soul (aatma), mind (mana) & body (tann) has been created in a space of 18,000 sq.ft.

In keeping with the concept of the museum in terms of what needs to be portrayed, the overall space is divided into a series of rooms, each of which has a different experience by the depiction of natural elements in immersive experiences.

The museum is entered through a large foyer which is purposely designed as a fluid volume. The walls, ceiling, structural columns, reception desk & seating benches are homogeneously finished with a thin layer of foam concrete that fluidly encapsulates all these elements while absorbing sound simultaneously.

This sculptural volume enveloped in a concrete grey calms the visitors, transporting them to a tranquil state prior to entering the 18 sequential zones created.

The visitors are led from this cavernous entrance to a narrow undulating corridor with images portraying the making of the museum. Post this, each room is entered one by one with different themes conveyed through audio visuals & immersive experiences.

The design of this museum overcomes the challenge of working with a floor plan that is irregular in shape with multiple structural elements, creating a sequential flow of volumes & experiences with a neutral palette throughout, to enhance the audio visual & immersive experiences within.

Lead Architect: Sanjay Puri
Design Team: Madhavi Belsare, Payal Raut, Subodh Amin

Aatma Manthan Museum by SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS in India won the WA Award Cycle 48. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.