The Theosophical Society in Adyar, India is considered an urban operating ecosystem with its sprawling landscape, archetypes, and proximity to the city. Theosophy believes in attaining salvation through the pursuit of "truth".
Between the Adyar River, the coast, and urban Adyar, this 100-hectare ecosystem provides a peaceful, green, vehicle-free retreat from the city. To the city, it is a garden to wander, with various temples as well as a huge variety of native and introduced flora, including the offshoots of a 450-year-old banyan tree. Rooted in Truth explores ideas of how a building can be situated in a landscape to allow it to be perceived without taking anything away from the site. How can a building bring people into a landscape?
It looks at sacred and spiritual icons and their manifestation in architecture through time as archetypal icons influenced by nature. The strategy aims at conserving the bio-diverse habitat and occupying the terrain gently. The master plan aims to create a connection between these markers and the river.
Social and cultural mapping
Effect of the river
Area of engagement
Mangrove intervention strategy
The area of engagement is situated between the Banyan Tree and the River. The tree is not only an important cultural landmark of this institution but also an integral part of the unique ecological system and the landscape. It is seen as the place for discourse /discussion/ stories on Theosophy.
The building proposal is developed from the addition and expansion planned by the society(research, library, and archival facilities, study center, and community spaces for the outreach programs within the premises of the gardens. At the ground level, one could only walk through the Banyan Tree, but a building can bring people higher up into the space of this tree and highlight its relationship to the surrounding ecology and river.
On the other side of the building, creating a safe riverside public space allows users to finally engage with the famous river. The addition of a second channel between the mangrove and architecture is both accessible during low tide and prevents water from reaching the building during high tide.
Entrance
Interior
