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 offers a different experience through the depiction of natural elements in immersive experiences.
Fluidly encapsulated
The museum is entered through a large foyer, purposely designed as a fluid volume. The walls, ceiling, structural columns, reception desk, and seating benches are homogeneously finished with a thin layer of foam concrete that fluidly encapsulates all of these elements, while simultaneously absorbing sound.
This sculptural volume, enveloped in a concrete grey, calms visitors, transporting them to a tranquil state prior to entering the 18 sequential zones that have been created.
Going with the flow
Visitors are led from this cavernous entrance to a narrow undulating corridor with images portraying the making of the museum. Next, each room is entered one by one, with different themes conveyed through audio visuals and 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 and experiences with a neutral palette throughout to enhance the audio visual and immersive experiences within.
Fact file:
Project Name: Aatma Manthan Museum
Location: Nathdwara, Rajasthan.
Area: 18,000 sq ft
Type: Institutional Architecture and Interior Design
Design firm: Sanjay Puri Architects
Lead architect: Sanjay Puri
Design Team: Madhavi Belsare, Payal Raut, Subodh Amin
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.
Photo credits: Mr. Vinay Panjwani
