MAN BEHIND THE BUILDINGS
Architect Sanjay Puri is known for creating designs that are revolutionary. The stalwart shares his vision and philosophy.
Renowned architect Sanjay Puri talks about his designs, projects, awards and love of architecture
Atiny lane branching off a busy junction at Mahalakshmi in South Mumbai takes you to a bungalowlike structure in which celebrated architect Sanjay Puri—and his team of 72 architects—designs some of the most acclaimed buildings across India. Walking up two floors to his sun-bathed office is an exploration—the three levels have a diagonal courtyard in walnut wood and concrete that brings in natural light into the space. “It used to be a printing press shed which presented an opportunity to do something interesting. Every floor is different,” he says. The same principle characterises his architectural practice of over two decades—no two projects are ever alike. His firm, Sanjay Puri Architects has won over 134 international architecture awards and the Construction World’s Architect of the Year Award for 13 consecutive years. Puri decided to study architecture after reading the classic, Fountainhead. “It romanticises architecture and talks about how it’s the perfect marriage of creativity and engineering. It tells you that you should do what a site tells you to do,” he says.
What role do you play as an architect?
The role of an architect is everything. In an ideal case, clients should come and say, ‘this is the look and feel I want to have’ and the architect should be able to understand their requirements. He should see the location of the site, its context, the wind and sun’s direction, the functions the space is needed for and then do something that hasn’t been done before. I have never repeated any design. Sometimes elements may be repeated but every project is different. We have had clients who have come and said we’ve seen this and we want something similar. In such cases, we say no.
What do you like designing the most?
For me, museums are number one but museums don’t happen in India. We have done proposals for museums in Bangalore and Jaipur but both were government projects and have been shelved. We even won a competition to do a museum extension in Dallas but we have been told to hold on to it for two years until the landlord renovates the entire building. This will be our first museum. In a museum, it is just the space that is important. You are not using it for anything else. A house, educational institute or hospital has different functions. In a museum you can work with any shape, any kind of space, any proportion of landscape to indoors, you see how to get natural light and how it shouldn’t affect the objects that are displayed. The experience of the space is equally important to the piece of art or sculpture. If the space makes you feel good, everything will feel good. The same painting can look better if the space is nice. If you see The Jewish museum, it is stunning and the experience of going through
that building is so memorable. After museums the next on my list are education institutes, then hospitality and then housing.
Which has been the most special award?
In November 2018, we won the award for the Best Housing Project in the World. We won against big names such as Zaha Hadid Architects and WOHA, among others. Everyone had high rises and glitzy structures but ours was The Street in Mathura, a student hostel built in a record time of seven months at a cost of `1,600 per sq ft. We were given one month to design it because it was time for students to arrive. Students loved our layout and design. In that entire 150 acre campus, they leave other spaces to come back here and hang out because it makes them feel good.
Key points for an energy efficient space
Keep the sun and wind direction in mind and you can build an energy efficient space.
How important is innovation?
It is very important. You may derive from the past but don’t copy from the past. We have said no to a lot of projects where clients wanted us to replicate some design. I recently gave up a 30,000 sq ft private home because the client who wanted a colonial style house. He thought I was crazy to give it up but why will I do something I don’t believe in.
Which are some of your most special projects?
The Courtyard house in Rajasthan, which we did six years ago. It’s a 35,000 sq ft private home, which we built with exposed concrete. There’s a large courtyard and every room opens out in a different direction. When you go stand in front of it and see it, it feels wow. When you enter through the door, it immediately feels cooler by six degrees. That is how we have designed it. Another is Ishatvam 9 in Ranchi, which won the World’s Best Residential Project at the LEAF Awards 2017 in London. One of the jury members came up to me and said, ‘I loved your building so much that I think we need these buildings in London’.
Projects in the pipeline
We have some very interesting educational institute projects. One is in Jabalpur and is a 100 acre campus with hostels and buildings. In Indore, we are terracing the whole main building so people can walk up the entire roof. The open space has been shifted to the terrace. Another is a school on a tight plot in Aurangabad.
How are rules in Mumbai affecting architectural design?
In Mumbai, you cannot do interesting work anymore because the rules are very strict. You just cannot innovate and there is no scope for courtyards and terraces. You are charged FSI for terraces and why you would pay to leave space vacant. Nowhere else in India do you have this rule. Some builders in the past had cheated by incorporating open spaces into the indoors and the government implemented this rule as a knee jerk reaction.
AT www.sanjaypuriarchitects.com