Form-al Fortitude

By Savitha Hira

Photography: Courtesy Saket Sethi

Mumbai based architect Saket Sethi chisels out a metaphor for the Aditya Birla company, creating for them, their first world class R&D campus to spearhead a new generation of products and research…

For a young architect to win his first large project (22 acre plot) - Aditya Birla Science and Technology Center (ABSTC) - that would not only reflect stalwart corporate ideology but also herald the new icon of its vicinity, is indeed a laudable task.

Establishing a direct brand connect with the masses, Saket plays with the ‘Rising Sun’ logo of the Birla group and its tangential ray as the basic form of the building. Architecturally, the main corporate building embodies a triple curve façade (curving in plan, elevation and section), abstracting the logo and an asymmetric corporate tower rising out of the sun profile; much like a ray of light symbolizing the eternal reach of corporate research. The combination of these design elements with its symbolic approach, creates an iconic beacon in the sky for its identifiable local context.

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Employing standard and advanced construction techniques, the final form is developed using a double-glazed front facade and Kalzip skin, with architectural features like cones that simultaneously elocute technological advances as well as simple geometry. The architectural layout defines a quad partite entry, leading to a building circulation core, from where double and triple height volumes effectively nurture the voluminous interior spaces and their interactivity.

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While the superstructure, approximately 200m long and raised about 60m above the ground, has been challenging due to the unusual profile of the site and pre-determined site access from the highway, the core concept uses familiar design elements in an unfamiliar way to create a space that depicts drama without being fussy. Most materials used are common, easily available but it is the manner of use that makes the space special. 

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Split helix staircase, atrium spaces, cantilevered projections, graphic design as the subtle embellishing tool, rampant use of colour white and a network of vertical vs. horizontal patterns in design and space planning, augments communiqué across all levels – physically and hierarchically.  

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Strategic play of geometry - fluid in contrast to rectilinear, state-of-the-art technique, and a basic naissance of a communicable interactive structure are key elements that define this centre for its architectural brilliance. Attention to detail works very well for the project as does optimal natural light ascertaining views for every user and very categorically taking the monotony out of this R&D facility.

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The entire interior development of 100,000 sq. ft stands out for its circular helix stairs, colour coded graphics, meandering corridors, greenery and its multi-levels as much as the architectural structure commands as an integrated loci contextually, simultaneously mimicking an aero form.

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