huddle
An interactive landmark reflecting the cultural district
2015
Jamia Millia Islamia
Location : Mandi House, New Delhi
Individual project
This project revitalizes the main rotary at Mandi House by enhancing its identity as a cultural and creative hub. Surrounded by institutions dedicated to art, film, and education, the site becomes a symbolic center of collaboration. The interactive installation draws inspiration from the social dynamics of the area, mirroring how people gather here for artistic exchange, conversation, and leisure. Through this, the installation transforms the rotary into a living observatory, reflecting the energy and spirit of its community.
Context Analysis
//Landmark Map
//Activity Map
Concept
//Formation progression of a Huddle
Imitating the formation of a “huddle,” the installation represents the organic emergence of a human collective gathered around a central point of dialogue. It serves as a catalyst for interaction, encouraging conversation while visually and conceptually linking the surrounding cultural landmarks. With its multifunctional design, the installation invites the socio-cultural life of the district to extend into and embrace the rotary, transforming it into an active participant in the public realm.
Geometric Translation
A1
B1
C1
A2
B2
C2
A3
B3
C3
A- Massing is offseted inwards from the roundabout to keep it equidistant from each access point. A conical frustum is also added to created the "focus" of the huddle.
B- Membranes are added to imitate the huddle geometry.
C- Membranes are then twisted within each other to form frames of multiple parabolas which houses the project.
A4
Drawings
//Plans (Left); Section (Right)
Site Integration
//Interlacing with natural growth of trees on site
Designed to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, the structure embraces the organic growth of nearby trees, integrating them into its form. The structure takes on a shell-like design which is open, porous, and adaptable which allows greenery to grow around and through it over time. This approach ensures that the installation doesn't stay alien to the nature around it but in fact interacts and integrates.
Street Elevations
Structure
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. frustum surface + frame work
2. spider clamp + vertical bracing
3. PV Cells w/ lighting grid
4. acrylic facade panels for non-screen area
5. glazing
Interactive Walls
Drawing inspiration from the Greenprix Zero Energy Media wall in Beijing and top of the Empire State Building in New York, the surface of the conical frustum along the curved pathway employs interactive digital technology to enhance the user’s peripheral perception beyond physical space. The projections on the frustum will be created by the visitor through a symmetric pattern generating mobile application linked to the screens. The visitor is simultaneously connected to the real and virtual worlds , thus promoting interaction with the structure.
