Jhansi Resort
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
2014
This is a project for a multi-utility party and entertainment venue which includes a restaurant, banquet hall, a dance floor and marriage hall. While the other functions are clustered together in the entrance corner of the two acre plot, the marriage hall is a standalone structure at the other diagonal corner of the site.
In the clustered structure the somewhat unique set of functions are organized such that they generate a series of experiences held together by a central courtyard. The experience of entering the courtyard from the access and parking itself is choreographed to create a sense of entering another world while traversing a single wall. The organization of the cluster allows for the various spaces to feel connected with a possibility of closing off sections to create privacy when multiple functions are being held concurrently. The restaurant for example is accessed from the courtyard but opens up the large open air banquet space on the other side. In a sense the essence of the project lies in the play of privacy and public-ness, inside and outside using a few simple architectural elements.
Architectonically, the roof is articulated such that it takes an inviting position at the entrance. The unique roof profile modulates itself as per the climatic orientation and the spatial need for each function. The building is imagined being constructed in local sandstone and local wood. These two materials along with the courtyard bring together the various functions into one assemblage.
