The Armada - Portuguese Maritime Interpretation Centre

Prochetah Ghosh

ID4032

Diu Fort, Portuguese, Island, and Water, all these elements have one thing in common, and that is the Portuguese carrack. Due to these carracks, the Portuguese were able to establish their rule over the Indian subcontinent. The project is an attempt to link all of these elements and showcase the development of these carracks through an experiential journey set in the Diu Fort. It is a strategy to reinterpret and re-establish an investigative storyline journey set within a strong sense of context and history. The exhibition is split into five parts, namely Artilaria, Velas, Lacos, Cartografia & Artilaria II

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Exercise 01 & 03 - The studio started with establishing the idea of light and how it behaved within certain projects. The idea was then taken forward in the form of an explorative model based exercise to understand the play of light in real time simulation

Exercise 04 & 05 - The studio also included an investigative tour of the Sun Temple in Modhera. The idea was to understand how it functions and why, depending on the aspect selected. Then the next exercise was to ideate that idea in a simulation of a box and how the idea can be translated into artificial lighting strategies

Site Plan - This slide introduces the site of Fortaleza de Diu and the planning and extents of the design of the exhibition.

Brief & Process - An explanation of how and why Diu Fort is a apt site for the maritime exhibition, the role of light and how the process of elemental metamorphosis started

Form Matrix - This slide explains how each element of a carrack has been taken and translated, retrofitted to make elements which populate the entire exhibition. The design language imbibes certain direct interpretations and some translated ones, which all come together to recreate the interiors of a Portuguese Carrack but in a rustic yet interpretive and modern way

ARTILARIA - The exhibit starts with the emphasis on artillery, a dominant factor of carrack development. This space not only uses the existing ruins as "signs of destruction" but also imitates the splintered walls at certain moments. The idea was to not only showcase the arms but also the effect it caused on the carracks.

VELAS - A showcase of sails, here the stanchions themselves convert into "portals" where they themselves are a part of the exhibition with an armature of ''masts" connecting them. These exhibits are centralized around a focal exhibit, subdividing the space into uniform pockets

LACOS - The intent of this space was not only to showcase techniques of nautical tying but also use the ties as a "carrier" of exhibits. Existing site elements such as the chimneys have been incorporated in the design, to be "carriers" of light and also be the source of viewing for the exhibits. These ties also display several painting galleries, showcasing instances from maritime history.

CARTOGRAFIA - This space is divided into two rooms - One is the "Astern" - the locus of navigation in a carrack and the "Map Room", the room which charted these long voyages. The space takes these two concepts and develops them into a playful yet interactive space, with light inducing the factor of curiosity and investigation, which also enables the visitors to reinterpret the space themselves.

ARTILATRIA II - The final room of the exhibitions. This room again shows the importance of artillery and arms in Portuguese Maritime history. This space also pays homage to the most important factor behind the carrack, the man, the soldier and the sailor. The final point imbibes all the designed elements so far and creates a harmonious and a focal display, using the daylight coming from the skylight. This point closes the entire investigative and the entire interpretive journey of the Armada

Project Video