Aaron Abraham Thomas

AR2057

In the murky depths of Vishaar, murmurs of rebellion are not so uncommon. Centuries of quiet discomfort slowly turned into a unanimous acknowledgement of injustice. In such fertile minds, certain truths inevitably root themselves, becoming intrinsic aspects of society. For the Naags, one such truth is inversion—an essential thread in their highly sophisticated and inimitable architecture. From the use of light to the subtle symbolism of subversion, even the most hidden entrances carry the signature of this inversion. Beneath a delicately curated artificial swamp, the habitation appears as a hierarchical, suspended constellation of nesting pods, floating within a larger, subtracted mold, its body cradling a pool of glowing water at its heart. The term ‘mold’ is used here to signify the intricate nature of the subtraction, with curves and proportions borrowed from the unique Naag anthropometry. The outer form of the nesting pods resemble a five-sided polygon, with the number of sides providing an integral connection to the five levels of the Vamsa Family Hierarchy. The crystalline walls of this void symbolize the fluid, amphibian nature of its inhabitants, their surfaces seemingly mirroring the shift of inky liquids, as though the very rock breathes with them. Along with the habitation are two public spaces, the communal eating and egg hatching space on the left and the ritualistic Kadalpuja space on the right. Apart from the obvious connection to water, both these spaces are designed to resonate with the Naags’ unique way of perceiving space: through movement. Unlike static volumes, these spaces wind and unfold along a path, mimicking the fluidity of the Naags themselves. At the end, the Naags have developed an unparalleled understading of their subterranean kingdom—sophisticated amphibian beings rising to claim the depths.   
A refuge for the forsaken brood, veiled subterranean, driven by murmurs of subversion, represented by an affinity for inversion, experienced through immersion.