Design Intiatives has once again sent us their latest work, The Crowd in the Cloud, their firm’s entry in the SpireTec mixed use competition for Greater Noida, Delhi, India. Images and a narrative by the architects after the break.
Our project responds to the context which is planned to be build by the time the project is completed, and to the dynamically twisted site. Our attempt is to increase density and pedestrian traffic. We strongly believe that high-rise typology is an oxymoron of sustainable development in its base and is in contradiction with promoter’s goal for a green complex. From the program we identify five major functions: Research Institute and Knowledge Center, Offices and Incubation Center, Hotel, Residential, and Retail-Food-Beverage. We clearly differentiate four of them in four wings grouped around two inner courts in two separate buildings (Research Institute and Offices in one building and Hotel and Residential in the other).
At the area of conjunction of the two buildings we design outdoor distributing hub/plaza/promenade which connects to all functions and the underground parking garage. It contains the fifth function of shopping and dining and combines the similar function of Research Institute food court with the F+B and retail outlets into one shopping center like hub. Because of the specificity of Noida climate the plaza is not enclosed, just covered by the buildings above. The plaza is open to serve not only the new building’s population but also people from the IT Park and from outside. With the creation of the outdoor plaza we break the 220m long “barrier” of the site for better circulation.
The inner court scheme is inspired by the Indian tradition. One of the courts is developed around a water pool and serves both Hotel and Apartments. The Hotel and Apartments also share Banquet Facility/Service Area and a common drop off area which is an additional access point. The other court is surrounded by the thematically grouped Auditorium, Lecture Hall, Gallery, and Library and could be easily transformed into Open Air Theatre. Functions like Auditorium, Lecture Hall, Gallery, Library, Bank, and Lobbies are located at the ground level and are directly accessible to the public and building occupants. Each one of the four wings with restricted access has an individual entry accessible through the inner court and vertical core in the corner. Both buildings connect at fifth shopping level and sixth level where the taller building leans above the lower building and covers a natural shaded space of a food and beverage terrace on top of the lower building.
The pattern on the sustainable double / secondary skin of the facades is inspired by traditional carved stone lattice screens of Hoysala Temple in Belur.
We also propose lightweight tent structures against sun and rain to connect the new building with the office buildings from the complex. They could be executed in next stages.
For landscaping, instead of a regular grass lawn we propose areas with agricultural crops typical for the fields around Noida – Indian tea, rice, corn, sugar cane.
Architect: Design Initiatives Location: Greater Noida, Delhi, India Type: Mixed Use Date: January, 2011 Status: SpireTec competition Client: Spire World Area: 62,750 sq. m.
