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Abin Design Studio clads Gallery House in India in ceramic inlaid terracotta bricks

Intended originally as a garage, Gallery House is a multipurpose community centre built for the locals of Bansberia, inspired by the burnt brickwork of a 200-year-old temple here.

by Jincy IypePublished on : Feb 09, 2021

Gallery House, designed by Abin Design Studio (ADS), is a two-tiered community centre clad in patterned, rust red terracotta blocks inset with ceramic work. Located in Bansberia, a city in West Bengal, India, (about 45 km from Kolkata), the multifunctional structure references one of the vernacular, terracotta dressed Hindu temples here. “Exposed brick masonry walls inlaid with ceramic blocks define the building’s character as a contemporary expression of the inspiration,” shares Abin Chaudhuri, founder and principal designer, ADS.

Ananta Basudeva is a 200-year-old temple with burnt brickwork, a well-known heritage structure of Bansberia. “An absolutely brilliant piece of architecture reporting mythological stories, we have been fascinated with this temple since childhood. The façade is a tribute to that treasure and legacy,” says Chaudhuri.

  • The multipurpose Gallery House caters to a locality of Bansberia in India | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    The multipurpose Gallery House caters to a locality of Bansberia in India Image: Edmund Sumner
  • Aerial view of the community centre sitting across the Wall House | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    Aerial view of the community centre sitting across the Wall House Image: Edmund Sumner

The client is someone who had commissioned ADS before to build their residence, the Wall House, and also obtained a small piece of land across its location, to build a car parking with staff quarters above. “Given its simple programme, we convinced the client to use this opportunity to do a lot more, and think of how it could give back to the community,” relays the design team at Abin Design Studio.

Entrance of the terracotta clad public structure | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
Entrance of the terracotta clad public structure Image: Edmund Sumner

With a site area of 330 sqm, the community centre is designed to serve the local community in the peri-urban locale of Bansberia and employs locally sourced materials in its design. Terracotta bricks were obtained from a riverside brick factory nearby, while rejected ceramic blocks were procured with the help of Partha Dasgupta, a ceramist. In conjunction, these wrap the Gallery House’s concrete skeleton, aided by the finesse and skills of the local building masons.

  • The patterned, terracotta clad skin | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    The patterned, terracotta clad skin Image: Edmund Sumner
    The masonry is inlaid with ceramic blocks | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    The masonry is inlaid with ceramic blocks Image: Edmund Sumner
  • Façade detail | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    Façade detail Image: Edmund Sumner

On seeing how well the design was progressing, the client decided to forgo his initial request and ascertained the ground floor to be used as a community hall open to the street, while the upper floor hosts a multipurpose room. Encompassing a sitting area, washroom, kitchen and a pantry, the multifunction room caters to the locality by becoming a space to host tuition classes and yoga lessons. During the night, the same space repurposes itself into a dormitory for resident staff.

  • Inside the multipurpose room on the upper level | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    Inside the multipurpose room on the upper level Image: Edmund Sumner
  • A primary red door and blue framed, curved window | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    A primary red door and blue framed, curved window Image: Edmund Sumner

While red masonry adorns the concrete framed insides at the lower level, the one above has Le Corbusier's aesthetics, replete with primary red and egg yolk yellow doors, and a blue framed window that curls in tandem with the rounded, concrete bench that hugs the off-white, curved wall.

  • The white steps lead into the Gallery House and its upper floor | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    The white steps lead into the Gallery House and its upper floor Image: Edmund Sumner
  • The ground floor is a community hall | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    The ground floor is a community hall Image: Edmund Sumner

The open white steps and foyer of the mixed-use structure perform as a street side gallery for the locals to sit and gather at, to view the procession of the annual festivities held on the winding neighbourhood lanes. “Encouraged to maximise the public utility of this building, its design was conceived to extend into the street, both visually and physically. Through judicious planning and play of voids in volume, the integral space of the building was shared with the neighbourhood people as a humane gesture of giving back to the local community, without disrupting the privacy and security of inner functions,” the studio informs.

“The client enjoys a sense of pride and joy of ownership seeing the space put to good use,” mentions Chaudhuri, who is also a resident of the area.

  • Narrative Diagram (top) and Form Development (bottom)| Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    Narrative Diagram (top) and Form Development (bottom) Image: Edmund Sumner
  • Gallery House - Drawings | Gallery House designed by Abin Design Studio | STIRworld
    Gallery House - Drawings Image: Edmund Sumner

Project Details

Name: Gallery House
Location: Bansberia, West Bengal, India
Area: 380 sqm
Year of completion: 2020
Architect: Abin Design Studio
Principal Designer:  Abin Chaudhuri
Design Team: Sohomdeep Sinha Roy, Qurratul Ain Maryam
Structure: Soma Kazi
Project Coordination: Debjit Samanta, Debkishor Das, Dipankar Mondal
Collaborator: Partha Dasgupta (ceramic artist)

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