Experience Center

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

EXPERIENCE CENTER

CnT Architects

ARCHITECTS
CnT Architects

AREA
20000 ft²

YEAR
2021

PHOTOGRAPHS
Andre Fanthome

DESIGN TEAM
Karthik P Nair, Anupama Rao

CATEGORY
Offices, Offices Interiors, Cowork Interiors

LEAD ARCHITECT
Amit Rastogi

LIGHTING DESIGN
Lite Lab

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Oikos

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Graphics Beyond

LOCATION
Chennai, India

Text description provided by architect.

Located in Chennai metropolitan at close proximity to the city’s transit hub, the site is approached from a highly buzzing Poonamalli high road.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

Three key components- a marketing office, an Experience center, and a Construction site office are the core of the facility.

‘‘Journey through the project reveals intricately detailed spatial sequences carefully crafted by the thoughtful blend of Architecture, Landscape, and Interior design.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

Visual frames and experiences unfold in layers to keep the visitor captivated & intrigued throughout.’’

A landscaped plaza creating a tranquil arrival experience is first on the entry sequence; doubling up as the interface between the city and the main program filtering the unwanted external buzz.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

At the point of arrival, one gets a glimpse of the Intricate roof canopy of the marketing office hovering over the plaza feature wall, creating a sense of mystery for what lies ahead.

‘Marketing office’ is accessed through a curved alley; meandering through lush green it guides visitors to an arrival court revealing a full view of the architecture.

The form; conceived as an expansive canopy floating over slender metal columns shelters many pods beneath to hold the program.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

Pods contain air-conditioned spaces for the reception, gallery, media room, customer studios, etc. Arranged in a free plan form, their placement defines a natural movement spine along the longitudinal axis.

The intricate design of the ceiling and series of skylights along the spine enriches the experience of moving through the space.

The ‘Experience center’ is accessed through a landscape buffer placed at the end of the marketing office.

Steps through the landscape graduate to a scaled-down movement spine representing the proportions of an apartment lobby, leading to three model apartment prototypes put on display here.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

The placement of model apartments is juxtaposed with various semi-open and open public spaces to create a very engaging and enthralling environment.

Overall visitor journey is designed as a two-way experience and design features are tactfully placed along the path and at important nodes to be discovered gradually and slowly.

A discreetly placed entryway at the end of the experience center leads into the ‘Construction site office’.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

Encouraged to see the importance given to the design of spaces for the construction team; visitors are escorted right through the common area of the site office arriving on to a viewing deck opening to a panoramic view of the under-construction residential township which is rising up in the background.

Environmental impact: The life span of the facility is five years, post which it will be dismantled. Hence, the majority of the structure is designed in steel for recyclability and reuse.

Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome
Experience Center
© Andre Fanthome

The modular structural elements are going to be used for another project of the developer, making this project as sustainable as possible.

Circulation spaces are well shaded and allow a lot of cross breezes, essential for comfort in the hot humid weather of Chennai; reducing the need for air conditioning to the minimum.


Experience Center
Plan - Ground Floor
Experience Center
Plan - Roof


Experience Center
Design Elevation DIagram


Experience Center
Section