Kanchenjunga Apartments- A Case Study

The Kanchanjunga Apartments, designed by Charles Correa, are a direct response to the present culture, the escalating urbanization, and the climatic conditions for the region. They pay homage to the vernacular architecture that once stood on the site before the development in a number of ways. More on Kanchanjunga Apartments after the break.

1. Kanchanjunga Apartments Began: 1970 Completion: 1974 Architect : Charles Correa Associate Structure Engineer : Shirish Patel & Association Construction Pvt.Ltd Structure Type : High Rise Building Location : India, Mumbai, Cumballa Hill Height : 84 Metres Floor : 27 Function : Housing (Residential) Type : Modern Structure Material : Concrete Architecture Style: Modern, Brutalism

2. About the Architect Indian Architect, Urban Planner and an activist Born: September 1, 1930 Alma mater: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan Famous Projects: Jawahar Kala Kendra, National Crafts Museum, Bharat Bhavan

3. Location Bombay lies on the western coast of India and its major commercial centre for the country the apartments are located south west of downtown Mumbai in an upscale suburban setting In Mumbai, buildings are ideally orientated east-west to catch the prevailing sea-breezes, and views out to the Arabian Sea on one side and the harbour on the other: the same directions as the hot afternoon sun and heavy monsoon rains

4. Approach The site has a separate road for individual approach which is connected to the main road. Building is approachable from two opposite sides, one from east and one from west KANCHANJUNGA APARTMENT 72,G. Deshmukh Road Mumbai MH India

5. About The Kanchanjunga Apartments are a direct response to the present culture, the escalating urbanization, and the climatic conditions for the region. They pay homage to the vernacular architecture that once stood on the site before the development in a number of ways. More on Kanchanjunga Apartments after the break.

6. Concept He mainly worked on the sectional displacement by bringing changes in the floor surfaces . He applied cellular planning by using interlocks in one and half story 3 and 4 bedroom units with two and half story 5-6 bedroom units. Small displacements in levels differentiated the external earth filled terraces with internal elevated living volumes.

7. Orientation and organisation of spaces

8. Development The shaping of towers: The building is a square tower. Charles Correa created gaps in that tower. The two floors high loggias are created to keep out the sun and take in the cool sea breeze.

9. Program and Typology The opening up of the apartments in the tower happens with a central core for vertical transport

10. Type A

11. Type B

12. Type C

13. Type D

14. Overview Interior Apartment Type C Overview Interior Apartment Type B

15. Charles Correa designed a concept which refers in the Unite D habitation of Le corb . The difference between both buildings is the opening up. Le Corb used horizontal corridors, Correa create a tower with only 2 apartments on each flor. He used a central vertical core for the opening up.

16. Structural Overview It is made from reinforced concrete . 32 stories high with 6.3 m cantilevered terrace garden. Central core of 7.8x6.9 m house the lifts and service areas . This central core also acts as a main structural element in resisting lateral loads Central core was const. ahead of the main structure using slip method of construction.

17. Materials and Color With its concrete construction and large areas of white panels, it bears a strong resemblance to modern apartment buildings in the West. However , the garden terraces of Kanchenjunga Apartments are actually a modern interpretation of a feature of the traditional Indian bungalow: the veranda. In a bungalow, the veranda wraps the main living area. The colour expert says that the quality of sunlight, climate and culture influence color choices: hence one would observe a preference for blue and its shades in the West while in India and other Asian countries one finds a pre dominance of reds and yellows White panels and concrete construction ,bears a strong resemblance to a modern building while the terrace garden give a look of that of a traditional bungalow. Overlooking the city from garden terrace

18. Thankyou. -Shivangi Shankar 6 th sem , 3 rd year B.arch , MITS gwalior