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Site Plan - CWMS
Part Plan - Main Institution
Bldgs.
Part Plan - Support
Facility
Sections and
Elevations
Sections and
Elevations
Sections and
Elevations
Site Model - CWMS
Site Model - Main Institution,
Amphitheater & Support Facility
Site Model - Main Institution,
Amphitheater & Support Facility
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Foreword :
I was required to undertake a thesis as
part fulfillment for the degree of Bachelor of Architecture
from the University of Bombay. The other remaining
fulfillment being the professional training period of 90
days, included in the semester 10.
I am the son of a renowned exponent of
North Indian Classical Vocal Music. Consequently, it is with
his music that I have out-grown my childhood. It was also
natural that I select my thesis on the topic of music.
Besides, he would me the most appropriate person to help me
understand the various reported and as well as
unreported aspects of music, that could influence my
design, making it stand out from the other attempts that
were made prior to mine. He would also be instrumental in my
attempts to gather elaborate national as well as
international details on World Music, through his
personal contacts he developed on his extensive tourage of
the country and the world.
According to my father, World
Music, taken literally, is the music of the world.
This music recognises no boundaries, no specific cultural
identity, no nationality, no racial discrimination. This
music is generated by bringing all the existing music of the
world, into a confluence. Presently, World Music consists of
these major identified music systems.
1. Western Music
: Music of the Europe and America.
2. Music of the
Middle East : Arabic, music from Persian
origin.
3. Indian Music
: Music of the Indian sub-continent.
4. Chinese and
Japanese Music.
5. Music of the
South-East : Javanese, Indonesian etc.
My proposal of CWMS is based upon the
general notion that the Indian musician, under the
dominating influence of his music, has for long confined
himself to his music. It has been internationally accepted
that Indian music is the one of most ancient and
scientifically developed music system of the world,
comparable to the music system of China. The Indian music is
so vast that, it has not been even totally identified.
However this, in no way tries to mean that the other music
systems of the world are any less important. I want to
provide the Indian music listener with a variety of music of
the world and then allow him or her a chance to know, hear
and understand the different music systems prevalent in the
world. He should then be free to pursue the music he
likes.
According to the basic understanding
of an institution devoted to world music, it should possess
and advocate a minimum of four distinct music systems. These
could be of any of the ones listed above. Few but prominent
examples of institutions promotional for the cause of world
music are, the World Music Department at the
Rotterdam Conservatory of Music, Holland and at the
Wesleyan University, Connecticut, USA.
CWMS, located at Kharghar node, a
newly planned out satellite town of the city of Bombay, is
at less than 2 hours drive from the heart of this city.
Kharghar node is also easily approachable from the other
major city of the state of Maharashtra, Pune which is like
Bombay, more musically inclined. For the success of such an
institution, it is imperative that it be located, not far
from the commercial, business and arts capital of India and
yet so far that it enjoys the harmony and the tranquillity
necessary for its function.
Architectural Program
:
The program for CWMS is arrived at, more
by my own personal research and also by the study of known
institutions that in some way provide for these facilities.
The program is divided into 2 main categories, the Main
Institution and the Support
Facilities.
The Main Institution houses the main
four departments of world music, each with certain nos. of
class rooms (12 nos.), Rehearsal rooms (3 nos.), a
Multi-purpose Hall, an Audition room, musical instruments
store, a Conference room, VIP room ands service core. In
addition, a small staff and the office of the Director of
Faculty have also been provided. Other common facilities
include the World Music Concert Hall (for about 300
people), Seminar Halls (3 nos.), Workshop rooms (2 nos.),
Symphony rooms (2 nos.) and a Conference cum Press Publicity
room. The General Administration consists of the CWMS
Executive Chairman, Assistant Chairman, Director of
Administration, Director of Programs, Program Development
Officer, Publicity Officer-In-Charge, Public Relations
Officer, Chief Engineer of Services and additionally a
Conference room and a small Canteen. The main institution
also contains an extensive Music Library including, Archives
(2 nos.), Open and Closed Stack Libraries, Audio Listening
room, Cells for Visual room (9 nos.), Cassette Archives,
Book Binding and Disinfection rooms, as also coping and
staff rooms. The Auxiliary functions have also been
incorporated into this institution. They include, Exhibition
Gallery, Shops (17 nos.) for selling of cassettes and CDs
etc., with its own canteen. The Research facilities in
Computer Music include Computer Labs, Tape storage,
Electronic Data Processing room (EDP), Electrical
Maintenance rooms and stores. Other facilities are Sound
Recording Studios for Individuals and Chorus as well as
Artist rooms. There are also facilities for research in
musical instruments including, Musical Instruments Storage
(2 nos.), Tool rooms (2 nos.), Workshops, Maintenance rooms,
Display rooms with their own Faculty-In-Charge, Common and
Locker rooms.
The Support Facilities cover an
extensive perview including, 2 Auditoriums, one small (of
capacity 300 persons), other large (of capacity 1800
people), an Exhibition Pavilion (4000 sq.m.), an
Amphitheater (of capacity 1300 persons), Museum Complex, and
Department for Introductory Courses in music for children
and students. Each of the auditoriums and the amphitheater
is fully equipped with recording facilities. The Exhibition
Pavilion consists of a large display area for holding world
music conventions and seminars, and store. The Museum
complex is self-sufficient with its own curator, display
area, reserve collection store, workshops, multi purpose and
utility rooms. The department of Introductory courses for
children and students has its own director, common
orientation rooms (4 nos.), Counselor rooms (4 nos.),
Practice rooms (12 nos.), Projection rooms (4 nos.), Class
rooms (5 nos.), Instruments storage (2 nos.), Office, as
well as a Reference Library, Periodicals, Archives and a
canteen.
A zonal layout of the residential and
guest house accommodation for the Artists, Performers and
the officers is also proposed. Further dormitories, for the
student population and residencies for the lecturers,
professors, ground staff and the caretaker are also grouped
here.
Site :
The proposed site for the Center for
World Music Studies lies in the sector 5 of the Kharghar
Node, right at the foot of the mountains. The site is at the
extreme edge of the sector. It is accessed directly from the
Bombay-Pune highway by means of a 35 meter wide road. An
additional 35 meter road runs along the length of the site.
The site is bounded on the South-East by a Maharashtra State
Electricity Board (MSEB) receiving station of area about 16
hectares. On the South-West is the 100 meter wide MSEB
corridor. The site is bounded on all other directions by the
mountain range, characteristic of the Node.
The total area of the proposed
institutional site is about 16 hectares, out of which about
8.5 hectares have been utilised by CWMS. The periphery of
the site is irregular. The average length of the site in the
South-East to the North-East direction is 410 meters and
that in the North-East to the South-West, is 295 meters. A
storm water drain of about 10 meters width runs all along
the boundary of the site to collect the rainwater flooding
down the mountain.
The site is totally contoured
beginning from the foot hills to the approach road of the
site with a vertical descent of 12 meters within the
site.
The Design Approach
:
The earliest designing began by first
understanding the topography of the site, noting down its
physical features (valleys and cliffs). A comparative study
of the surface rain water drain-off was made (my site is at
the foot of a mountain). For these purposes, I prepared a
study model of the site, observing the various possible
water drain-off paths, water retention areas etc. The
existing site remains barren.
I noted two prominent features.
Firstly a large chunk of land, under a nominal slope, lay
towards the North-East and a cliff formation on the West.
These were separated by an equally extensive low lying flat
land.
In the preliminary design stage, I
decided to keep the Main Institution on this chunk of land.
It was necessary that the common facilities had an easy
access from each of the wings. Hence this remained in the
center of a circular plan about which all the other
institutional wings rotated (the four independent music
system blocks, the entrance complex, the libraries and the
research and development complex). To bring in the
environment, I decided to stagger the floors on the upper
levels, thus creating terraces. It is a widely accepted fact
that, terraces and open spaces are necessary for encouraging
creativity and a relaxing atmosphere, specially for the
student population. This also helped in breathing ample
light and ventilation into the main institution. Care was
also taken to allow the circular form of the institution to
flow with the nominal unevenness of the ground. Lofted
curved portals were used to enjoy maximum uninterrupted
space and also to define the curvature by exposing them as
fins on the external and internal periphery.
Water is an essential factor for
music. Water falling freely down the mountains is in itself,
a source of music. I decided to use a dam that caught all
the water that drained towards the site and collected it in
the low lying area. Adequate services for the change of this
water were also looked into. This dam serves an important
connectivity to the two distinct parts of the CWMS. It is
designed along a free axis that starts with the center of
the spherical World Music Concert Hall at one end and ends
at the center of another spherical, Museum Complex. Almost
at the middle of the dam, is located the Entrance Plaza with
a low height shell roof protecting the access driveway. Two
smaller stairways on the opposite ends provide an
independent access to the two parts.
Special care has been taken to provide
equal opportunities to the handicap and the disabled to
access the CWMS facilities by installing lifts at main cores
and junctions and also providing suitable ramps all
over.
The sphericaly shaped Museum is
additionally capped on the top by a flat domical shell, with
fins shooting radially down to the ground. Some of these
penetrate into the water. The rest of the support facilities
including the massive exhibition pavilion, department of
introductory courses are allowed to fan out around
the Museum in the true musical flow. Where the fan nears the
curvature of the main institution, the amphitheater is
planned. This serves a free flowing curve to the entire site
profile.
On the far South East of the site are
located the two auditoriums, aligned radially with the
center of the institution block. These have separate access
roads to enhance their independent functions.
The residential zoning is restricted
to the extreme North East.
Conclusion :
This dissertation was another of my
personal experimentation with axial planning. Much like the
ancient cities, that I learned in history, CWMS displays an
intricate definite flow pattern in the planning. It is also
in confirmation with the musical phenomenon that follows no
fixed rhythm and adopting my characteristic Organic
free flowing form.
This dissertation was my most sincere
and intense attempt at presenting a totally form oriented
but functional design. I was also required to prepare a
write up on the topic, elaborating upon the concept of the
music in general and the World Music in
particular.
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