Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Exterior Photography, FacadeThird Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 3 of 40Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior PhotographyThird Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Door, WindowsThird Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - More Images+ 35

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Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Edmund Sumner

Text description provided by the architects. During the design process, we worked closely with our client, Dharohar, a not-for-profit organization, to bring to life the vision of Third Space - the first learning and cultural center in Udaipur. Our aim was to create an accessible, open, and inclusive place beyond the home or school.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 9 of 40
© Edmund Sumner

Third Space was designed as a destination that could foster a generation of life-long learners, for people to come together to create meaningful connections, gain new experiences, or pursue long-loved hobbies. A major challenge was the diversity of uses; it is not just a museum, or a makers space, a cinema or a performance space, or a climbing wall, it is all of those and more. To make this work, we laid the major elements around a pinwheel of cloisters that surround a central courtyard.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Beam
© Ankit Jain
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 31 of 40
Plan - Ground Floor
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography
© Ankit Jain

The biggest challenge was to bring multiple activities into a single coherent space. To overcome this, we decided to place the main community activities in the central courtyard. In-between spaces, such as the entrance, corridors, and courtyards, often forgotten in building design, were designed to serve as flexible spaces for performances and community gatherings, bringing all activities together under one roof.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography
© Edmund Sumner
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Door, Windows
© Edmund Sumner
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 37 of 40
Section AA

Lastly, and in order to ensure that Third Space accommodates a multitude of uses in the best possible way, We used the ‘patterns’ of A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, which helped bring order to the whole experience.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Shelving, Chair
© Ananya Singhal

For the construction of Third Space, we focused on using local materials that respond well to the region’s harsh climatic conditions and help reduce the carbon embodied by transport. The masonry walls were formed by waste marble rubble and lime mortar from nearby mines, while marble dust, a waste product from the marble mining and processing industry, was used in the concrete as a cement replacement, resulting in a light-colored concrete that reflects the sun better and contributes to the natural ventilation of the building.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography
© Ananya Singhal
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 32 of 40
Plan - 1st Floor Mezzanine
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography
© Ananya Singhal

Focused on reducing waste, we reused the marble cut-offs from the façade screens as flooring, and the metal offcuts were refashioned into chainmail for doors and partitions. The white marble screens used are locally produced, as are the ceramic tiles that are used in broken form to form the roofs. The roof features a woven bamboo canopy which provides solar shading, where bamboo is chosen as a material in lieu of long-life aluminium shades, resulting in a low-carbon solution that is cost-effective and biodegradable as opposed to something more robust, but damaging in the long term.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 19 of 40
© Ankit Jain
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Facade
© Ankit Jain

One of the key learnings from Third Space for us was how to work with all the collaborators. We learned and developed so many elements together. From the canopy of the building, which was co-created with Webb Yates Engineers, to the façade fixing, co-created with Sarnar,  and the marble screens, that had to be tested for earthquake resistance, the list could go on!

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 22 of 40
© Ananya Singhal
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Stairs, Facade, Beam
© Ananya Singhal
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Image 39 of 40
North Elevation

In terms of the building design, we drew inspiration from the architectural heritage of Rajasthan and reimagined it in a contemporary form, bringing multiple uses into a single coherent building. A key aspect of Third Space is the central courtyard inspired by the regional building heritage of havelis (traditional residencies) around which key spaces are organized. Serving as a flexible exhibition, performance, and meeting space, the courtyard has all the center’s circulation around it, providing clear routes to all the learning and activity spaces.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Interior Photography, Facade
© Ankit Jain
Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Ankit Jain

At the entrance of the building, a visitor is presented with the ‘Baori’, inspired by the step wells found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The vast open-air public space consists of seemingly random cubes forming steps to run and jump from, to sit and relax on.

Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar - Exterior Photography, Cityscape
© Edmund Sumner

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Project location

Address:Udaipur, India

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Third Space Cultural and Learning Center / Studio Saar" 26 Jun 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1018110/third-space-cultural-and-learning-center-studio-saar> ISSN 0719-8884

© Edmund Sumner

第三空间文化学习中心 / Studio Saar

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