International project:
The Newtown School
ARCHITECTS:
Abin Design Studio
LOCATION: Kolkata,
West Bengal, India
area: 15 000m2
Client: Savitri
Educational
Foundation
Materials used:
Fibre Reinforced
Polypropylene, Mild
Steel, Handmade Tiles,
MDF
Abin Design Studio began in
2005 under the leadership
of Abin Chaudhuri. At ADS,
they believe architecture is
an artistic expression as far
as it transcends its purely
utilitarian, technical and
rational realm and turns into
a metaphoric expression of
the lived world, context and
human condition. Their aim
is to provide a ‘soul in the
shell’. Completed projects of
ADS have earned numerous
accolades. Their work has
secured the International
Architecture Award at the
Chicago Athenaeum, 2015
and in 2014, was selected
by the Museum of Modern
Art (MoMA), New York for
publication and a travelling
exhibition.
i
of small and large alphabets, numbers and
symbols. These have been placed in various
orientations to achieve a randomized effect on the
façade.
Structural slabs were projected beyond the
building surface all around in a way such that an
exact number of panels would fit on all surfaces
on the symmetrical cuboids. This also enabled
simpler servicing of the panels from the back and
ensured a better light quality for the building.
A small scale study model was created in-house
to understand the same and make a decision on
treatment of the panels, the walls and the windows
behind the screen.
A mild steel frame work was devised in a grid like
manner on the projected slabs to align with the
FRP panels. A fixing detail using steel Z-profiles
embedded into the FRP panels was developed to
fix these 70kg panels to this M.S. support structure.
The grey walls and windows background brings
out the white FRP screen in all its glory. Starting
with a sample of the module and fixing detail to
manufacturing, shipping, complete installation,
painting and cleaning, the façade system took 4
months to complete on site. The effect is exactly
what Abin Design Studio hoped for with its
dramatic expression and unmistakable identity.
These two structures having been dealt with
elaborately, there was a third small service block
on the far side of the site which would stick out as
a sore thumb if not properly handled and would
be overbearing if over-designed. This block was
thus treated in the same projected slabs and
M.S. framework manner but with simple vertical
aluminium fins. The contrast was eliminated and
the walls, windows and fins were all treated with
the same shade of grey along with rolling shutters,
doors, etc. This block is neither eye-catching nor
bold, but a subtly and aesthetically disappearing
mass that helps to clearly demarcate the public
zone from the back-end areas.
Read more here
africandesignmagazine.com
61