Sri sai spiritual centre banglore

a contemporary of neo rational style by sanjay mohe

1. SRI SAI SPIRITUAL
CENTER
PRESENTED BY
UMA.MULLAPUDI

2. THE SRI SAI SPIRITUAL CENTRE ,BANGLORE
WAS FOUNDED BY ITS FOUNDER SRI
RADHAKRISHNA SWAMIJI, IN 1954 WITH A
MISSION TO SPREAD SAI DEVOTION AND
SET FORTH A TRADITION IN WHICH THE SAI
TEMPLE WOULD PROVIDE SPIRITUAL
COMFORT AND SOLUTIONS TO THE
COMMUNITY.
LOCATION –NR COLONY, BANGLORE .
THE WORK STARTED IN 2005 AND
RENOVATION WAS COMPLETED IN 2007.

5. WHEN THE PROJECT WAS TAKEN UP BY
MINDSPACES ARCHITECTS… FEW POINTS HAD TO
BE CONSIDERED ;
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ARRIVE AT AN
ARCHITECTURAL FORM WHICH COULD STILL
COMMUNICATE TO THE LOCAL DEVOTEES WHO
HAVE BEEN VISITING THE OLD TEMPLES FOR YEARS
AS A PART OF THEIR DAILY ROUTINE.
THE CAPACITY OF THE GATHERING HALL IN FRONT
OF THE SANCTUM [GARBHA GRIHA] HAD TO BE
INCREASED TO ACCOMMODATE AS MANY
DEVOTEES AS POSSIBLE.
THE LARGE NUMBER OF DEVOTEES ON THURSDAY
HAD TO BE MANAGED .
FEW AREAS WITH SENTIMENTAL IMPORTANCE HAD
TO BE LEFT UNDISTURBED.

7. THE TEMPLE PRESENTED ITSELF AS A SUDDEN SURPRISE ON
A NARROW STREET.
THE TEMPLE SEPERATES ITSELF VERY WELL FROM ITS
SURROUNDINGS , BOTH IN SHAPE AND COLOUR…..THE
SURROUNDING BUILDINGS ARE WHITE WHILE THE TEMPLE
IS BLACK.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD IS RELATIVELY QUIET BUT THE
STREET OF THE TEMPLE IS ACTIVE AT ALL TIMES OF THE
DAY…. ON THURSDAYS ,THE STREET IS CLOSED FOR CARS
SO THAT THE VAST CROWD CAN MOVE AROUND IN
PEACE.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD IN FORM OF NATURE HAS PALM
TREES ON STREETS.
RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE THERE ARE HANDFUL OF
SHOPS SELLING RELIGIOUS ARTICLES, OTHERWISE IT IS
MOSTLY APARTMENTS IN THE AREA.

9. SINCE THE TEMPLE IS SO CLOSE TO EXSISTING
BUILDINGS THE ARCHITECTURE MUST RELATE
TO THIS.
SANJAY MOHE HAD SOLVED THIS BY
HAVING SUNSCREENS … THIS SEPARATES THE
TEMPLE ROOM FROM NEIGHBOURING
HOUSES EVEN THOUGH THE NEIGHBOURS
LIVE A FEW CENTIMETERS NEXT TO IT.
AIR AND SOUND FLOWED FREELY BETWEEN
THE TEMPLE AND THE NEIGHBOURING
BUILDINGS.

12. SRIRANGAM
RICHARD MEIER’S CHURCH
JUBLIEE CHURCH IN ROME

14. PRIMARY CHALLENGE WAS TO MAINTAIN THE FEELING
OF AN INNER CLOSED SANCTUM SANCTORUM .
THIS PROVED TO BE DIFFICULT, SO EVENTUALLY
FUNCTIONALITY HAD TO BE OVERRIDE AND REPLACE
THE CONVENTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A HINDER
EXAMPLE TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE FOLLOWERS
,THE MATTE TEMPLE WAS TRANSFORMED SO THAT IT
CONSISTED MAINLY OF A UNIFORM VOLUME.
THIS LED TO THE GRADUAL DISCOVERY OF SPACE , AS
IT WAS IN TRADITIONAL HINDU TEMPLE , MEASURED
NEW INTERPRETATIONS.
THE BOUNDARIES OF SANCTUM SANCTORUM WERE
STRETCHED TO THE MAXIMUM , AND THE MAIN WALL
WHERE THE SAI BABA FIGURE WAS PLACED WAS THE
ONLY DEFINITE INTERNAL BOUNDARY OF THE TEMPLE.

18. ALL AREAS OUTSIDE THE SANCTUM SANCTORUM ARE
FLOATING AND WITHOUT BOUNDARIES ,WHICH EITHER
LEND OR ARE ADDED TO THE VOLUME IN MAIN HALL.
TRADITIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE LIGHT USED IN A
HINDU TEMPLE ARE REVERSED IN THE SRI SAI SPIRITUAL
CENTER .
INSTEAD OF GLORIFYING LIGHT BY USING DARKNESS
AS CONTRAST , THE LIGHT FLOWS THROUGH THE MAIN
ROOM AND IS REFLECTED BY THE INTERIOR .
SHIKARA
SUCESSFULLY TRANSFORMED INTO A FLOWER -LEAF
FORM GIENNOM A SERIES OF POROSIS. THE SHIKARA
IS UNTOUCHED WITH THE CONTEMPORARY
EXPRESSION WITHOUT ORNAMENTATION.
THE TRADITIONAL SHAPE OF SHIKARA IS REINTERPRETED
BY SPLITTING ITS UNIFORM SURFACE INTO A SERIES OF
PEELS THAT BRINGS IN THE LIGHT AND MAKE ILLUSIONS
TO AN UPWARDLY REACH TO SKIES.

21. HORIZONTAL BAND IS AN ALLUSION TO STONE
OUTCROPS AND MOTIFS FROM TRADITIONAL TEMPLES
WHILE IT IS A DEVIATION FROM THE COMPLEXITY OF ITS
ORNAMENTATION .
SHIKARA IS BUILT SO THAT EACH SHELL IS IN DIFFERENT
HOYDENIVA AND ENDS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE.
BASED ON THE COMPOSITION OF CONCRETE SHADE
AND SKYLIGHT IN GLASS ,NATURAL LIGHT FROM THE
HEIGHT IS EMITTED.
THE SECTIONS OF SHIKARA GIVE THE MAIN HALL AND
SANCTUM SNCTORUM A DRAMATIC ATMOSPHERE.
THE OVERFLOW OF LIGHT IN SSSC COMES FROM
DIFFERENT ANGLES TO THE HIGH VERTICAL
WINDOWS.THIS CAUSES THE LIGHT AND SHADOW PLAY
TO VARY IN THE TEMPLE FROM HOUR TO HOUR.
ITS LAMP NETWORK CONSISTS OF BRONZE, COPPER,
STEEL AND BRASS AND HAS A CONTEMPORARY
EXPRESSION.

23. THE OPERATION OF PEELING ALLOWS THE SCALE
OF THE SHIKARA ELEMENT TO BE GRADUALLY
BROUGHT DOWN TO THE ENTRANCE ….THE NEW
SHIKARA BECOMES THE DEVICE THAT
REFERENCES THE TRADITIONAL TEMPLE
GOPURAM , YET REMAINS A CONTEMPORARY
EXPRESSION THAT CREATES AN IDENTITY FOT THE
CENTRE WITH ITS SOPHISTICATED
CONSTRUCTION.
A SERIES OF CONCRETE SHELL STRUCTURE FORMS
A PATTERN THAT BRINGS IN DIRECT AND
INDIRECT NATURAL LIGHT INTO THE SANTUM
SPACE BELOW ILLUMINATING IT WITH A UNIQUE
RADIANCE
THE ENTIRE VOLUME OF THE SHIKARA IS VISIBLE
FROM THE MAIN HALL, ITS VARIOUS SKYLIGHT
BRING IN A PLAY OF NATURAL WORKING A
SENSE OF DIVINE PURITY.

27. USUALLY , YOU WILL ONLY SEE THE
VOLUME BELOW THE SHIKARA FROM
SANCTUM SANTORUM,SINCE THE
SHIKARAM ELEMENTS ARE PART OF THE
ENTIRE SSSC , THIS MEANS THAT THE
VOLUME BELOW THE SHIKARA IS VISIBLE
FROM LARGE PARTS OF THE TEMPLES LAND
AREA. THIS NEW INTERPRETATION GIVES
THE TEMPLE ITS CONTEMPORARY
EXPRESSION AND IDENTITY.

30. CROWD PROBLEM-
BEFORE THE EXPANSION IT WAS UP TO A
KILOMETRE QUEUE ON THURSDAYS...
THIS BUILDING WAS EXTENDED TO THE OUTER
BOUNDARY OF THE PLOT TO ACCOMMODATE
THE PEOPLE , WHICH LED TO THE MAIN HALL
BECOMING 8 TIMES LARGER.
INTERIOR-
RED COLOUR WAS USED ON THE WALL BEHIND
SAI BABA TO DRAW THE FOCUS TO THE STATUE.
RED IS A CLASSIC COLOUR IN SUCH CONTEXTS
,WHICH SHOWS THE COLOUR USE IN A MORE
TRADITIONAL TEMPLE…… THE USE OF YELLOW
WAS A SMALLER DETAIL, BUT IT FITTED WITH THE
SURROUNDINGS.
THE RED COLOUR ON THE TOP OF STARICASE
WAS USED TO CREATE A FOCUS POINT.

32. THE ROLE OF COLOUR IN THE OVERALL PERCEPTION OF
THE SSSC IS SIGNIFICANT-THE VERTICAL AND CURVED
PLANES ARE CHEIFLY GREY , THE FLOOR AND ROOF
SURFACES ARE MOSTLY WHITE. [WHITE MARBLE FLOOR]
WHITE IS USED AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR
EMPHASIZING IMPORTANT AREAS OR TRANSITIONS
AGAINST BLACK ONE.
IN CONTRAST THE TEXTURED COLOUR BACKGROUND OF
THE SANCTUM VISUALLY PUNCTUATES THE ENTIRE
VOLUME.
ONE ALSO FINDS THE WHITE NICHE ,WHICH CONTRASTS
WITH THE BLACK GRANITE WALL MARKS THE ENTRANCE
TO THE OFFICES AND SWAMIJIS ROOM.
TEXTURE, BATHING VISUAL AND TACTILE , HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED CONSCIENTIOUSLY IN DESIGN.
THE BLACK GRANITE COAT WITH A LEATHERY FINISH ,
THE TILES OF GLASS MOSAICS USED IN SHIKARA SHELL
AND THE PATTERNED RED-ORANGE COLOUR IN
SANCTUM SANCTORUM ARE EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT
TEXTURES THAT APPEAR AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE
BUILDING.

34. SANJAY MOHE AND MINDSPACE ARCHITECTS HAVE
ATTEMPTED TO CREATE A CONTEMPORARIES
INTERPRETATION OF HINDU TEMPLE MAP …. THE
CHALLENGE LIES IN UNITING THE TRADITIONAL AND
ASPECTS OF A TEMPLE WITH A CONTEMPORARY FORM
WHILE THE ARCHITECTURE IS TO CONVEY A DIVINE
ATMOSPHERE.
THE ARCHITECT INTERPRETATES THE SPATIAL AND FORMAL
ASPECTS OF THE MIGRATION OF THE TRADITIONAL WALK IN
THE TRADITIONAL TEMPLE OF PAGANISM. GIENNOM
HAPPENS TO BE A KNOWN SPACE SEQUENCE FROM PENTY
AND SPATIAL, TO THE INTIMATE AND SACRED OF
INEXORABLE REACTION.
THE REMOVAL OF THIS PROCESS REVEALS GREAT
PRACTICAL GAINS.IT ALLOWS MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF
FOLLOWERS IN THE MAIN HALL AND SANCTUM
SANCTORUM THAN IN ANCIENT TEMPLE.[WITHOUT
DIVISION/SHARING]

35. A SERIES OF TRANSITION MARKS THE PROGRESS
FROM PUBLIC ARES ,INTO A HUMAN SCALE AREA
BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, THE TRAILOR IS DIRECTLY
PLACED IN THE SPATIAL AND SACRED CORE.
THE WALK ENDS WITH DIVINE AUDIENCES, OR
DARSHAN IN SANCTUM SANCTORUM VISUALLY
COMPARED TO DIVINE .
THIS APPROACH OF AN IMMEDIATE WITH AN HOLY
ONE EVOKES A SENSE OF UNITY AND
RESEMBLANCE AMONG THE FOLLOWERS ,THIS IS
THE DIRECT CONTRAST TO THE PURPOSE OF
TRADITIONAL TEMPLE
HERE IS A FACE TO FACE MEETING WITH THE
DIVINE ULTIMATE GOAL.
BY RESOLVING THIS, 700-800FOLLOWERS GET THE
OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE DARSHAN AT THE SAME
TIME IN THE TEMPLES MAIN HALL.

37. THE TEMPLE MOSTLY CONSISTS OF SINGLE
VOLUME . AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS
MEDITATION HALL[DWARIKAMAI] AT THE
BACK OF THE TEMPLE . WHICH IS AN AREA
OF PRIVATE AND SPIRITUAL
REFLECTION….HERE YOU WILL FIND A
SMALLER ,LIMITED SPACE, ON A HUMAN
SCALE, WHICH CREATES VISUAL AND
PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE DEITY.

39. ROOMS OF WORSHIP ARE ROOTED IN TRADITIONAL
AND ARE SYMBOLIC ICONOGRAPHIES.
EXPERIMENTATION AND INNOVATION IN THE
TYPOLOGY OF THE RELIGIOUS BUILDING NECESSITATE
CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF RELIGIOUS FEELINGS,
WHICH ALSO PRESENTS A CHALLENGING
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ARCHITECT .
THE ARCHITECTURE OF TEMPLE SEEKS TO SENSITIVITY
NEGOTIATES ITS EXPRESSION.
IT INTERPRETS FORMAL DIRECTIONS IN THE
TRADITIONAL HINDU TEMPLE AND HIJACKS THE
ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY RATHER THAN FORCING NEW
METAPHORS THROUGH THE DESIGN .
AT THE SAME TIME MONOTONOUS REPETITIONS BY
HISTORICAL SYMBOLISM ARE AVOIDED.

40. THE NEW CENTER PLACES ITSELF ON THE
CONTEXTUAL FOUNDATION OF THE ANCIENT
TEMPLE AS A TRANSFORMED FORM.
IT EMPHASIZES WHAT HAS BEEN RETAINED
RATHER THAN EXCEEDING IT AT THE SAME TIME
BEING SUBTLE AND EMPATHETIC .
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLE GENTLY
ELEVATES THE ESSENCE OF THE ANCIENT TEMPLE
IN A BALANCE WITH THE CONTEMPORARY
ATTITUDE AND DESIGN .
THE TEMPLE IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF A
SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION OF
TRADITIONS AND PERCEPTIONS.THROUGH AN
ARCHITECTURE OF CONTROLLED
EXPERIMENTATION.

50. LIGHT IS A BUILDING MATERIAL.
RESPECT 5 SENSES AND WORK WITH FIVE
ELEMENTS.[ SPACE, AIR, FIRE, WATER AND
EARTH]
ARCHITECTURE IS ALL ABOUT SEARCH OF
SOULS AND NOT ABOUT COSMETICS .
FALLING IN LOVE WITH A IDEA AND
RELENTLESS FIGHT FOR ITS REALIZATION.
PARTICIPATE, UNDERSTAND AND WORK
WITH THE NATURE.