Museums emphasize movement and natural light. While exercise is important in many contexts, in museums it is essential for visitors to easily navigate and understand the spatial layout, preventing confusion or an unconscious maze-like experience. At Mindgym, this is achieved through the incorporation of Hindu symbols, providing a spiritual framework that encourages circular movement within the space.
When combining natural and artificial lighting, natural light becomes especially important. It illuminates exhibits without creating shadows. The design employs building elevations that shift with the sun’s path, allowing indirect light to fill the rooms. This approach eliminates shadows from the east, west, and south, relying primarily on the shadow-free northern light.
A significant challenge was achieving natural ventilation without mechanical cooling, as requested by the client. The building’s form acts as a barrier, sealing off the ‘lungs’ of the museum. The walls contain pipes that extract polluted air via centrifugal fans located on the terrace, creating a vacuum effect. Fresh air is brought in through concealed pipes within the same wall facing the windward side.
Thus, the museum’s design integrates multiple functional aspects, enhancing movement, natural lighting, and ventilation throughout the building.
Project Drawings
△ Location Diagram
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Design Workshop
Area: 15,000 square meters
Project Year: 2019
Photographer: Onil Shah
Manufacturers: Hindware, Jaquar, NITCO TILES
Lead Architect: Shabbir A Unwala
Senior Architect: Gauri Godakhindi
Intermediate Architects: Kashmir Shreram, Rohines Kondhalkar
Interns: Suchithra Ramkumar, Yash Siroliya
Structural Consultant: ECCIPL
Civil Contractor: Vastu Kirti Pvt Ltd
Landscape Design: Design Workshop
Elevator Consultant: Schindler
Location: Lonavla, India
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