Kerlepalli Naga Sai Santhan

AR2014

I studied Antoni Gaudi during the course of the semester. By analyzing his works I got to understand various attitudes towards various aspects of architecture. I tested some of these attitudes by making some installations like cube, maze and trophy.

The final design for Marine Ecology Center is a manifestation of my understanding of Gaudi. Since the program is a Marine ecology center that spreads awareness about marine life, the idea is to create a space with an underwater atmosphere by using cave-like forms and arranged in a fashion of Corals surface. The most frequently used spaces were arranged to face the sea for breathing taking views. The spaces which were to be accessed only by researchers are placed on the first floor with a single access point. Whereas the rest of the spaces feel like a seamless journey as you walk through them.

Locally available coral limestone is used as the main building material, according to which the structural system has been designed to always keep the stone in compression by using a complex system of vaults, catenary arches, and load-bearing walls.