Urmila Kailash Black Box, Kanoria Centre for Arts Campus
Urmila Kailash Black Box, Kanoria Centre for Arts Campus
Studio Sangath
ARCHITECTS
Studio Sangath
ARCHITECT / PROJECT TEAM
Vidhi Solanki, Keshav Akkitham, Ansal,
ARCHITECT / MEASURE DRAWINGS & RENDERS
Rodolfo
CONTRACTOR
Vasant Prajapati
STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Hitesh Rathi, Rathi Consortium
PHOTOGRAPHS
Ishita Sitwala | Creative Director : Kunnal Pratap Dass
AREA
207 M²
YEAR
2024
LOCATION
India
CATEGORY
Museums & Exhibit, Educational Architecture
Text description provided by architect.
Since its establishment in 1984, the Kanoria Centre for Arts has consistently evolved to meet the changing needs of the artistic community, expanding both in form and function.
Founded by Urmila Kanoria, the Centre's original design was conceived by renowned architect Balkrishna Doshi.
Over the years, as the Centre's requirements grew, additional facilities such as gallery spaces and studio areas were incorporated, enhancing the campus's capacity to foster artistic expression.
In 2020, Balkrishna Doshi entrusted Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof, the founders and principal architects of Studio Sangath, with the responsibility of overseeing new developments at the Kanoria Centre for Arts.
This partnership resulted in the completion of the latest addition to the campus, the Urmila Kailash Black Box, in 2024.
The Black Box represents a significant milestone in the Kanoria Centre for Art's ongoing transformation.
Designed with a profound respect for the existing architectural language of the campus, the building draws inspiration from the surrounding structures, aiming to create a harmonious connection between the old and the new.
The surrounding landscape too was designed in a way that it plays a pivotal role in this integration, providing a fluid transition between spaces and blurring the boundaries between the original architecture and the latest additions.
This approach ensures that the campus maintains a cohesive and unified character.
The Urmila Kailash Black Box itself introduces a new typology—one that responds to the specific functional needs of a dynamic space for art, performance, theatre, discussions, and celebrations.
The versatile design of the Black Box allows it to accommodate a wide range of artistic practices and events, while its architectural relationship to the broader campus fosters a vibrant and cohesive environment for creative expression.
