Heritage

Nisarga Art Hub: Kerala’s Architectural Roots Embraces the Arts

May 16, 2024
|
By 
Albert Aycardo

The Nisarga Art Hub unites tradition, sustainability, and arts as it stands tall amidst the paddy fields of Angamaly, India. Built for a family of musicians, architecture firm Wallmakers infuses the Kerala region’s rich architectural heritage with an inclusive twist. The community center immerses artists in nature, making it a venue geared towards bringing out inspiration. 

Sitting Amongst the Clouds

Looking at the historic homes in the area, the architects wanted to design a structure that would stylistically and functionally be familiar to the nearby community. Taking advantage of the landscape, a majestic sloping tile roof presents itself as an “outdoor” space, that doubles as a sheltered seating area. Its form and build is reminiscent of traditional Kerala architecture. This design choice pays homage to the regional context while also serving functional purposes of insulation and temperature regulation.

The roof acts as an amphitheater that sits heavensward. Its seating design is capable of accommodating up to 80 people brought together in a dynamic arrangement. Its low slope allows for  controlled movement and ensures that users are safely away from the edge. A central stage sits above a calming pool of water that visually links the structure to the nearby river. 

Furthermore, seating doubles as a series of skylights angled at 35 degrees fills the interiors with rays of sunlight and views of the starry night. Rather than being a separate component, the roofing now brings in both people and light. A verandah is also constructed using reclaimed laterite blocks from demolished local buildings, adding a rustic charm and further connecting the structure to its context.

Along its elevation, the structure’s profile splits down the middle by a curtain of greenery that gracefully cascades down repurposed metal racks. This “green screen” adds a biophilic touch and filters the harsh afternoon sun. The walls are then angled around this focal point, centralizing it further while slimming the structure’s massing. The brutalist exterior walls are made with a Shuttered Debris Wall Technique, utilizing recycled waste and soil from the site that captures the appearance of a raw concrete finish. 

The Presence of Absence

Inside the Nisarga Art Hub are open spaces awaiting to be filled with imagination. Its flexible and adaptive layout supports a slew of artistic endeavors whether it be exhibits or workshops. A sparse furnishing approach sunken  seating throughout further strengthens this purpose in the design. 

Social spaces sit front and center as a double-height ceiling adds spaciousness and centrality to them. Fenestrations and fully operable walls capture the nearby views of paddy fields that blend in a rural feel. A cantilevered area on the first floor makes room for other creative mediums such as a recording studio.  

The interiors feature exposed concrete ceilings and unfinished walls. It celebrates the raw beauty of materials and the workmanship of construction. Furthermore, this accessible aesthetic reinterprets how even the most basic forms of construction can evoke elegance when designed well. Rolled burlap sacks cover the skylights, adding a textured and diffused character to the natural light that enters the rooms. 

Artfully Sustainable

Wallmakers, as their name suggests, have a patented formula for sustainable walls called “Shuttered Debris Wall Technique”. Their walls are designed to use recycled construction materials alongside the nearby soil. This practice reduces the structure’s environmental footprint and costs. The integrity of this structural element is well-founded as it is capable of supporting cantilevers and the massive roof of the Nisarga Art Hub.

The numerous openings invite both natural light and the breeze, which reduces consumption. Furthermore, its constant use as a venue for gathering makes this home a valuable asset to the community. This factor relates to the importance that architecture should also be for others, making the building serviceable to more people. 

The Nisarga Art Hub manages to serve its purpose well as it draws inspiration from the region’s heritage, contributes a social gathering space, and does it all in a sustainable manner. It’s an ode to the arts and its nurturing effect upon the human spirit. 

Read more: Art Sector Gallery: Where Natural Beauty Meets Metropolitan Culture

Photo credit: Syam Sreesylam

Vision to Vibe: Decoding the Spatial DNA of JJ Acuña.

Vision to Vibe: Decoding the Spatial DNA of JJ Acuña

The career trajectory of JJ Acuña reads like a global odyssey—one that stretches from a quiet Texas suburb to the skylines of Hong Kong and, most recently, Manila. Across each locale, he honed an approach he calls “spatial DNA”. It’s a bespoke methodology that weaves client aspirations, cultural context, and intuitive materiality into environments that […]

Push to Declare Pasig River a National Cultural Treasure Gains Momentum.

Push to Declare Pasig River a National Cultural Treasure Gains Momentum

A growing coalition of heritage conservationists and cultural advocates is calling for the urgent call to declare the Pasig River a National Cultural Treasure (NCT). They cite the river’s irreplaceable historical, cultural, and ecological significance. The move comes amid renewed concerns over the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), a controversial 19.37 kilometer, 6-lane expressway that critics […]

Elevating Filipino Talent to the Global Stage: The 2025 Asia Pacific Design CompetitionElevating Filipino Talent to the Global Stage: The 2025 Asia Pacific Design Competition by Poltrona Frau.

Protected: Elevating Filipino Talent to the Global Stage: The 2025 Asia Pacific Design Competition

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

"Unveiling Perspectives," a group exhibition at Kaida Contemporary.

‘Unveiling Perspectives’ Showcases the Materiality of the World

For Unveiling Perspectives, Quezon City-based art gallery Kaida Contemporary assembled a group of artists to create different compositions that portray their daily lived experiences. It shows them in a way that illustrates their individuality as artists, with different materials that are important to them and their craft as a whole.  “Art has a way of […]

Installation by Pacita Abad.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2025: A Rising Tide of Filipino Talent 

Six years and a global pandemic later, I finally found my way back to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center for this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong — but this time, with my husband, litigation lawyer and business owner, Atty. Fred Young. Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel is the leading global platform […]

"Gloss with A Purpose" exhibit with Lee Morale and Kia LaBeija.

‘Gloss with a Purpose’ and Exploring Truths in Performing Queerness

Gloss with a Purpose combines the artworks of Filipino photographer Lee Morale and American artist Kia LaBeija. The exhibit highlights the artifice and performance that exists in queer communities—and its importance in the way we define our own identities as a whole.  Hannah Jaugan curated Gloss with a Purpose as her senior thesis for AB […]

Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]