Aatma Manthan Museum

Sanjay Puri Architects

Short description

WITHIN THE BASE OF THE 270 FEET HIGH STATUE OF BELIEF IN NATHDWARA, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, A MUSEUM TO EVOKE SELF ANALYSIS BRINGING TOGETHER A HOLISTIC COMBINATION OF THE SOUL (AATMA), MIND (MANA) & BODY (TANN) HAS BEEN CREATED IN A SPACE OF 18,000 SQ.FT.
IN KEEPING WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE MUSEUM IN TERMS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE PORTRAYED, THE OVERALL SPACE IS DIVIDED INTO A SERIES OF ROOMS, EACH OF WHICH HAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE BY THE DEPICTION OF NATURAL ELEMENTS IN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES.
THE MUSEUM IS ENTERED THROUGH A LARGE FOYER, WHICH IS PURPOSELY DESIGNED AS A FLUID VOLUME. THE WALLS, CEILING, STRUCTURAL COLUMNS, RECEPTION DESK & SEATING BENCHES ARE HOMOGENEOUSLY FINISHED WITH A THIN LAYER OF FOAM CONCRETE THAT FLUIDLY ENCAPSULATES ALL THESE ELEMENTS WHILE ABSORBING SOUND SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THIS SCULPTURAL VOLUME ENVELOPED IN A CONCRETE GREY CALMS THE VISITIORS, TRANSPORTING THEM TO A TRANQUIL STATE PRIOR TO ENTERING THE 18 SEQUENTIAL ZONES CREATED.
THE VISITORS ARE LED FROM THIS CAVERNOUS ENTRANCE TO A NARROW UNDULATING CORRIDOR WITH IMAGES POTRAYING THE MAKING OF THE MUSEUM. POST THIS; EACH ROOM IS ENTERED ONE BY ONE WITH DIFFERENT THEMES CONVEYED THROUGH AUDIO VISUALS & IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES.
THE DESIGN OF THIS MUSEUM OVERCOMES THE CHALLENGE OF WORKING WITH A FLOOR PLAN THAT IS IRREGULAR IN SHAPE WITH MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, CREATING A SEQUENTIAL FLOW OF VOLUMES & EXPERIENCES WITH A NEUTRAL PALETTE THROUGHOUT, TO ENHANCE THE AUDIO VISUAL & IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES WITHIN.