DESKTOP STUDY - 1

AWADH SHILPGRAM-LUKNOW

Awadh Shilpgram is a crafts hub influenced by traditional Indian architecture.

Architecture studio Archohm has completed a campus for promoting crafts in
the Indian city of Lucknow, featuring a cluster of grass-roofed workshops
and a spiralling shopping arcade (+ slideshow).

LOCATION : Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

AREA : 29784.0 Sq.M
PROJECT YEAR : 2016
ARCHITECTS : Archohm
Awadh Shilpgram was designed by Archohm to
accommodate almost 200 shops dedicated to
crafts from around the region and beyond,
alongside craft courts for hosting workshops, an amphitheatre, an
exhibition hall and a food court.
The aim is to provide local craftspeople with a place where they can share
ideas, teach, learn and sell their work directly to customers.

The buildings developed for the complex are intended to form a collage of
shapes and materials that references the chaotic composition of the urban
bazaars found throughout the region
From an entrance courtyard, a spiralling structure
lined with craft shops leads visitors gradually
towards an open plaza at the centre of the
curving building.
"An elliptical form enables a smooth corner-free
circulation," explained the architects.
It narrows down while spiralling inward, and
emulates the density and vibrancy of traditional
Lucknowi bazaars, which have streets that get progressively narrower."
The eight-hectare site is located close to a major highway in a rapidly
developing area of the Uttar Pradesh region's capital city.
The arch, being an important architectural element of the architecture of the city
of Lucknow, is introduced as a skin to the inner face of the buildings," the
architects added, "but is given a make-over in a contemporary style with
continuous access beneath it."
Perforated stone jali screens traditionally used to
channel cool air into the rooms of Indian buildings
are incorporated into the steel frames of the double-
height arches, which allow entry to the circulation
space at ground-floor level.
The intricate patterns carved into the jalis are
based on traditional Chikan embroidery.

The open area at the centre of the complex

contains a stepped amphitheatre that
incorporates planted beds. A paved ramp
provides access to the upper level, which
looks down towards the circular stage.

Outside of the main spiral building, a cluster of stone-walled structures

with rounded turf-covered roofs provide demonstration areas where
artisans can conduct workshops observed by groups seated on benches
incorporated into the inner walls.
Elsewhere on the campus is an arc-shaped exhibition hall and a food court that
look onto a circular lawn with a fountain at its centre. The main buildings are
clad with red Agra sandstone that helps to unify their diverse forms and
functions.

1. Entrance Court
2. Admin, Indoor kids
Zone & Service Block
3. A.C Shops
4. Craft Shops
5. Platform Shops
6. Dormitory &
Amphitheatre
7. Sitting
8. Food Street
9. Craft Court
10. Food Street
11. Water Body
12. Exhibition Hall
13. Outdoor Dining
14. Services Courtyard
15. Sunken Plaza
16. Outdoor Kids Zone
17. Parking
18. Services Block
19. Open Banquet
20. Green Area
22. Space for DG &
Transformers
23. Banquet
24. Garbage dump &
Common Washing Area
25. Handicap parking
Detailed section

Detailed Section One