TEAM: APARNA SINGHAL AND SUSHEN MAINI
Key words: plaza, democratic, hybrid, pixels
A hybrid tower, consisting of a commercial space, retail space, hotel, plazas and public parking has been proposed for Sikanderpur, Gurgaon near Sikanderpur metro station. The site with a brief of designing a democratic space is developed on an area of approximately 13000sqm consisting of 26 floors and 2 basements totaling upto a 46000sqm built up area.
The term democratic space in the last few years began to lose its weight as it transformed into a loosely defined buzzword and came to be referred as a mere public space. The tower aims to resurface the true meaning of a democratic space. Democratic Space, would be a place that is publicly owned, universally accessible, both physically and in perception; allows for a diversity of voices and users in all stages of design and occupancy; allows for flexibility of use; is freely used by all individuals and encourages freedom of speech and expression.
Hamlet, the name for the tower is inspired from its own meaning. Dictionary defines hamlet as a small human settlement which is typically situated in a rural location. Broadly, it is a settlement that has no central place of worship, and no central meeting point for its residents. Hamlets can also be considered as a secondary settlement in a civil parish.
Hamlet at Sikanderpur aims at creating a temporary settlement through a generous sequence of plazas located at various levels and crossroads, interacting with the site by easing the crowds at the metro station and creating a thoroughfare. The tower aims at creating a democratic space by making it engage with the people on the site as well as with people around the site.
On the ground level, Thoroughfare reduces the travel time between Sikanderpur road and Bristol chowk, and the plaza eases the crowd at Sikanderpur metro station, simultaneously the plaza at the 4th floor level connects with the concourse level of the metro station giving a direct access to the tower vertically. Since there is no provision for public parking as of now, providing public parking separate from the commercial parking would resolve one of the major issues of the site.
Based on its appearance with the city skyline and it’s ecological response to sun, Pac-man shaped pixilated volume was evolved to a tower, the large voids indicate entry and exit to the tower, parameters for selecting the entry and exit points for various functions are based on the noise levels around the site and views of the site as per the analysis done on site.
The building acts as a self-shading device, The chunks provide shade to major volumes of the tower, since the façade is directly exposed to the south and south-west sun(as per shading analysis done for the volume), an external façade is installed on the tower consisting of a vertical shading device, (second façade) the angular placement of the second façade consist of screen on one side and jaali on the other, blocking the direct sunlight and creating dramatic shadows in the interiors, creating a variation on the façade when viewed from different angles from the site . The design of the façade is done with an aim to visually engage people with the site from a distance as well.