Hampi Art Labs is designed by Sameep Padora & Associates to appear as though it was “born from its surroundings” near the village of Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India known for its historic Hindu temples. To achieve this, the studio took cues from the area’s topography and history, as well as its modern condition as a more industrialised area.
The Hampi Art Lab hopes to foster creative thinking, by creating a space where collaboration and experimentation is possible. Its’ undulating form references the nearby Tungabhadra River, while its distinctive colour was achieved using iron oxide sourced from the nearby JSW Vijayangar Works – one of the largest steel and cement-producing facilities in India. Earth excavated from this facility was also used as concrete formwork.
This project is inspired by the riverine landscape of the Tungabhadra, and her gentle sculpting of the surrounding hills, the project is rooted by a central ‘space of flows’; through which people access the property. On either side of this, lies a hill scape of various amenities available at the residency. With the JSW industry plant nearby, we had access to steel and cement for the building, and we used the excavated earth from the site itself to make formwork for the casting of the building’s fluid forms,
Sameep Padora & Associates
The site and its surrounding environment strive to be an inspiration to visitors and artists. The buildings are designed to have accessible roofs, so visitors have access to both, a landscape on ground, as well as a green roof, which serve as backgrounds for installation pieces across the campus.
The landscape design echoes this material approach with paths of stabilised pebble, recycled stone mosaics and local planting from the region.
Walking through the entry court, one will see the Gallery, Café, and a large pavilion-which leads visitors to the central court. Through here lie the artists’ workshops for collective use – as well as individual studio spaces. There are also a series of amphitheatres on the edge of the property, which lead to a sculpture plaza. Beyond this, lie the residential spaces for the artists.
Photos
Kunal Sharma, Aagam Mehta, Kartik Rathod
