By Ar. Vinita Wagh
Visual representations: courtesy the architect
Read Time: 2 mins
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| Perfume Park and Museum(inset)Architects Amit Gupta & Britta Knobel Gupta |
Kannauj, India’s perfume capital plays host to UPSIDC’s Perfume Park and Museum, giving impetus to the time-honoured expertise and craft of perfume making.
Being designed by Studio Symbiosis, the 41.55-acre project is part of the twin city agreement between the cities of Grasse (France) and Kannauj. With a sole aim to promote the 300-year old tradition of perfume making and to place Kannauj on the global map, the design integrates interaction cum leisure spaces - a museum, a skill development centre, auditorium, workshop area, distilleries, flower beds, shops and cafes.
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| Design evolution from the Fibonacci series |
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| Land use diagram |
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| Site plan |
Spread over 41.55 acres along the six-lane Lucknow-Agra expressway, the design of the museum symbolises a flower – the essence of perfumery; the Fibonacci series forming the underlying mathematical pattern that translates into the built and landscape spaces. The spiralling pattern creates a seamless experience through fluid circulation. The museum sits at the heart of the pattern as it radiates out into the flower beds. As the pattern grows outwards, exponentially from the centre, it forms larger plots towards the edges, accommodating greenhouses and distilleries.
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| Ground floor plan |
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| Grid evolution |
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| Grid development |
The museum building is the focal point of this complex, recalling a flower with three petals - each ‘wing’ accommodating a program: the first wing - a museum; the second wing - an auditorium and workshop area; and the third wing - a souvenir shop along with a cafe. Along the periphery lies a movement loop that ensures a full view of the park from inside.
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| Design overview |
All movement leads to this museum, drawing the eye towards the volume. With the pattern of the flower beds projected onto it, the roof’s massive cantilever is a visual delight, conceiving a fuzzy boundary condition that blends the landscape into the built. Optimizing the depth of the cantilever to ensure minimum heat gain on the façade reduces cooling loads. The three roofs dip towards the centre, facilitating visitor access to the roof. The vantage points atop allow visitors to view the full expanse of the radiating pattern.
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| Pathways leading to the museum |
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| Evening time at the museum |
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| Farming and maintenance of flower beds |
The greenhouses house species of flowers that require climate and humidity regulation, while distilleries produce fragrances on site, and the skill development centre is the seat of knowledge exchange between experts from both cities.
The project is undeniably a tribute to the rich history of Kannauj.
Fact File:
Client: Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC)
Architects: Studio Symbiosis
Design: Amit Gupta, Britta Knobel Gupta
Project Team: Akshay Kodoori, Kartik Misra, Dewesh Agrawal, Anjan Mondal, Chaitanya Goyal, Steven Derrick Thomas, Abhijeet Sharma, Pranav Semwal, Sonia Sood, Tushar Yadav, Ashita Agarwal, Isha Pundir, Sonia Sood.
Project Area: 41.55 Acres
Location: Along the Lucknow-Agra expressway
Status: Under Construction
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