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Iuca Case Study Pune

The document summarizes the design of the courtyard areas at IUCAA, which incorporate astronomical and astrophysical themes. One courtyard is designed like a binary star system, while another forms a Sierpinski triangle. The central courtyard is designed to resemble a black hole as seen through a radio telescope. Other elements represent concepts like Newton's laws of motion and astronomical calendars. The blending of ancient and modern astrophysics themes makes IUCAA a unique space that elevates its academic function.

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959 views

Iuca Case Study Pune

The document summarizes the design of the courtyard areas at IUCAA, which incorporate astronomical and astrophysical themes. One courtyard is designed like a binary star system, while another forms a Sierpinski triangle. The central courtyard is designed to resemble a black hole as seen through a radio telescope. Other elements represent concepts like Newton's laws of motion and astronomical calendars. The blending of ancient and modern astrophysics themes makes IUCAA a unique space that elevates its academic function.

Uploaded by

AkshayJoshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IUCA CASE STUDY-

At IUCAA, Astrophysics and Astronomy recur as a leitmotif , be it in the colours,


the names, forms or details.

One of the smaller courtyards flanking the central one is designed as a Binary
Star - accomodating two Ficus trees already growing with the courtyard, such
that the plan of the courtyard largely corresponded to the image of a Binary star
and its resultant three dimensional gravitational space (Roche lobe) given above.
The other courtyard is more two dimensional with a planting arrangement in the
form of a Sierpenski triangle.
The design of the central courtyard as a kund is married to the softscape design
of a blackhole seen through a radio telescope. The use of the kund imagery is
potent since it directly alludes to the Sun God- Surya, whose temples in India
were celebrated with the presence of the Surya Kund. The primordial source of
energy was shown to be concentrated in a hole that appeared to descend into
something inescapable (water as a trap for the suns energy, thus getting
charged with the suns powers). This narrative is not very different from Modern
astrophysics description of a Black Hole.
The converging/ descending lines of the kund indicate a centripetal force, while
the randomness of the paving at the corners of the kund complete the illustration
of centrifugal energy.
Other narratives include the code between the statues of Newton, Aryabhatta,
Copernicus and Einstein. Though each of them is modeled on an action that
alludes to their contribution to science (for e.g. Newton gazing at the apple on
the ground), their place with respect to each other conveys a silent message.

It is rare to come across a series of photographs that illustrate the genesis of the
designed landscape- from concept to youth to maturity. A fair bit of luck has
come this way through some real and virtual resources- thanks to IUCAA based
web pages hosted by Mr Meghnad and Mr Yogesh @ IUCAA.
Possibly, the planting of perimeter trees is also some sort of a solar-based
calendar, each tree blooming/ shedding leaves at a particular time of the year- a
Nakshatra Vana (Garden of the Constellations) perhaps. Still trying to verify this
from pics like these taken on my last visit.

The blend of ancient and modern and the dualisms contained therein, make
IUCAA a poignant exploration as a designed space. As a place, it is a testimony
to the fact that architecture can elevate any function from the mundane to
something esoteric, yet rooted.

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