Intrigue Designs breaks stereotypes for design of event hall in Panipat

By Vinita Wagh

Photography: Devyani Gupta; courtesy the architects

Read Time: 2 mins

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Intrigue Designs stirs up excitement with their Banquet Hall at Panipat, unveiling a sophisticated design ruled by sustainability and industrial panache.

Carved out of a brief that pressed for novelty, the project, sitting on a site of 1.25 acres, entailed thorough research. The site’s location on the main highway and its proximity to the Toll Plaza govern site adjacencies, architectural elements and material palette - the last two also a response to the client’s environmental ambition. With tree saplings sourced from all over India and food locally grown for event consumption – this going-beyond the space marks a small step to aid local farmers, a model that could replicate across sites through community awareness.

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The main hall, positioned at a higher elevation, sits at the rear end of the site. Cocooned against external noise by dense and indigenous foliage along its periphery and foreground, the hall settles between two layers of green – the kitchen garden and the front lawn.

The element of greenery continues within the main hall, with its mild steel framework, trusses, glass facades and metal roofing, creating a modern look with clean lines - raw, yet timeless. The tripled interior volume helps cancel out the high solar heat gain that is typical of metal structures. Hot air escapes through the ventilation shafts, cooling the space. Furthermore, enveloping the exposed sides of the building with 10 ft high green covers; and the use of thermally-insulated roof and double-glazed north-facing windows also helps negate this effect. Mud walls, mixed with cow dung, clay and dry hay structure the utility spaces, which maintain a temperature of 18-24 degrees throughout the year.

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The indoors paint a striking picture, framing views to the lush outdoors. Contrasting the bold material palette of the structure and its surroundings, the interiors are minimal – black and white, resonating through the ceiling and marble flooring; the latter laid in three different patterns to cover the 7500 sq. ft. expanse. Exposed brick imparts a rustic look while the potted plant trellis along these walls sustains the refreshing greens.

As such, the careful use of details, landscape and warm elements mellows down the coldness of an industrial look, lending a distinct finish.

Fact File:

Client: Innovative roots

Design Firm: Intrigue Designs

Principal Designers/Architects: Ar. Nehit Vij and Ar. Devyani Gupta

Site Area: 1.76 Acres (approx)

Built-up Area: 10,000 Sq. ft

Location: Panipat, Haryana