HALL OF NATIONS, NEW DELHI

RAJ REWAL
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE APARNA KULSHRESTHA, [63] III YEAR , VI SEM , SEC A, BATCH 11 YEAR : 2012 AAYOJAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, JAIPUR

RAJ REWAL
BORN: 1934 IN HOSHIARPUR, PUNJAB, INDIA EDUCATION:
FROM 1939 -51 LIVED IN DELHI AND SHIMLA AND ATTENDED HARCOURT BUTTER HIGH SCHOOL. FROM 1951 -54 ATTENDED DELHI SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING . 1955-61 ATTENDED THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, LONDON FOR ONE YEAR. TOOK HIS COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AT BRIXTON SCHOOL BUILDING, LONDON.

INFLUENCE:
WORKS OF LE CORBUSIER CORBUSIERS WORKS CONVINCED HIM THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE RATIONAL AND EMPLOY MODERN MEANS TO BUILD IN INDIA. TEACHING HISTORY AT THE SCHOOL OF PLANNING ANDARCHITECTURE ,NEW DELHI. EXPOSED HIM TO THE CLASSICAL AND VERNACULAR TRADITIONS OF BUILDING IN INDIA. ALSO INFLUENCED BY THE TYPOLOGIES OF TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS AND CITIES LIKE JAISALMER .

AWARD:
THE AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE AND PROJECT ARCHITECT PARLIAMENT LIBRARY, 2007

WORK:
ASIAD VILLAGE HOUSING

STATE TRADING CORPORATION, DELHI

LISBON ISMAILI CENTRE, PORTUGAL

PARLIAMENT LIBRARY, NEW DELHI

ENGINEERS INDIA HOUSE, NEW DELHI

BUILDING:

HALL OF NATION, NEW DELHI

YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 1971-72 BUILDING TYPE: EXHIBITION

DESIGNED AS SPACE FRAME IN REINFORCED CONCRETE; THE 'HALL OF NATIONS' PROVIDES AN UNINTERRUPTED EXHIBITION AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 6,700 SQM IN A 82M X 82M X 27M HIGH TRUNCATED PYRAMID SUPPORTED ON EIGHT POINTS. FREE STANDING COFFERED MEZZANINE FLOORS CANTILEVERING OUT OF CYLINDRICAL SHAFTS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EXHIBITION AREA IN EACH HALL. THE 'HALLS OF NATIONS' IS SUPPORTED ON PILE FOUNDATIONS TIED TOGETHER WITH POST TENSIONED PLINTH BEAMSSTRESSED IN STAGES. THE HALL OF INDUSTRIES ON THE OTHER HAND IS A COMBINATION OF 4 SMALLER PAVILIONS BY RAMPS ENCLOSING A CENTRAL AREA FOR OPEN AIR EXHIBITS, UTILITIES, TOILETS, AND OTHER SERVICES ARE LOCATED UNDER THE RAMPS.

PLAN OF HALL OF NATIONS

ELEVATION

VIEW OF HALL NATION

THE HALLS WAS INITIALLY CONCEIVED AS A FULL PYRAMID THE TRUNCATED FORM WAS ADOPTED IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CONSTRUCTIONS. OCTAHEDRAL MEASURING 5M FROM JOINT TO JOINT WERE EMPLOYED AS THE BASIC 3D UNIT OF THE SPACE FRAME , WHICH RESTS ON 8 POINTS AROUND THE ESSENTIALLY SQUARE PLANNED AND ALLOWS 11M WIDE OPENINGS BETWEEN THE SUPPORTS. AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL INSIDE THE BUILDING WAS ANOTHER OUTCOME OF THE 3D STRUCTURE , AS SOLID TRIANGULAR PANELS AT REGULAR INTERVALS PROVIDED SUN SCREENS A MODERN EQUIVALENT , ACCORDING TO SOME AUTHORS OF THE TRADITIONAL JALI IN INDIAN ARCHITECTURE .

ANALYSIS:
DESIGN IS PURE STRUCTURAL EXPRESSIONS, CUBIC VOLUME (THE TRUNCATED FORM). HONESTY AND SIMPLICITY EXPOSED CONCRETE USED FOR THE STRUCTURE HAS BEEN LEFT BOTH INSIDE OR OUTSIDE , WHERE THE PATTERNS FROM THE WOOD SHUTTERING REMAIN EVIDENT.