B.

ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS

mettur india
MEDIA
CULTURE
1984
[madras university india]
Murali Ramaswami | Selected Work
I N S E E K I N G A D I A L E C T I C A N D D Y N A M I C R E L A T I O N B E T W E E N T H E T W O C O N C E P T S O F A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D P L A C E T H R O U G H T H E M E A N S O F A R C H I T E C T U R E A C C E P T I N G T H E L I M I T A T I O N O F S C O P E A S W E L L A S O F P R E -
B.ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS
mettur india
1984
53
Even with the debunking of the myth of its social power,
architecture still forms the realm of active and bodily
engagement with cultural conditions as opposed to its
mere representations. The premise of this project in
proposing a complex, nearly impossible to realize in the
smal l i ndust r i al t own, was t o posi t t hat
culture/language/arts were being eroded by the mass
media of Indian commercial cinema, which can be
defined in a manner as virtual reality. Re-building,
resistance was seen as possible through the insertion of
the program of architecture where necessary: those very
places that dominant forces of society have deemed as
unsuitable and marginal.
In the manner of the numerous temples that top the
rocky hillocks of the town, the museum occupies the
high ground of the site. At the base are buildings for
work and living.
Nearly all the building foot- prints trace existing contours
and the lines of a perennial channel flowing from the
adjoining reservoir. This mode of secondary
approximation (building lines) upon the primary
approximation (contours, water's edge) relates to the
prevalent construction of the town that uses rough
granite blocks to build at nearly right angle relationships.
White washed several times over the years these walls
begin to feel like crushed paper: heavy and light at once.
site plan
B.ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS
mettur india
MEDIA
CULTURE
1984
[madras university india]
Murali Ramaswami | Selected Work
I N S E E K I N G A D I A L E C T I C A N D D Y N A M I C R E L A T I O N B E T W E E N T H E T W O C O N C E P T S O F A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D P L A C E T H R O U G H T H E M E A N S O F A R C H I T E C T U R E A C C E P T I N G T H E L I M I T A T I O N O F S C O P E A S W E L L A S O F P R E -
B.ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS
mettur india
1984
53
Even with the debunking of the myth of its social power,
architecture still forms the realm of active and bodily
engagement with cultural conditions as opposed to its
mere representations. The premise of this project in
proposing a complex, nearly impossible to realize in the
smal l i ndust r i al t own, was t o posi t t hat
culture/language/arts were being eroded by the mass
media of Indian commercial cinema, which can be
defined in a manner as virtual reality. Re-building,
resistance was seen as possible through the insertion of
the program of architecture where necessary: those very
places that dominant forces of society have deemed as
unsuitable and marginal.
In the manner of the numerous temples that top the
rocky hillocks of the town, the museum occupies the
high ground of the site. At the base are buildings for
work and living.
Nearly all the building foot- prints trace existing contours
and the lines of a perennial channel flowing from the
adjoining reservoir. This mode of secondary
approximation (building lines) upon the primary
approximation (contours, water's edge) relates to the
prevalent construction of the town that uses rough
granite blocks to build at nearly right angle relationships.
White washed several times over the years these walls
begin to feel like crushed paper: heavy and light at once.
site plan
studios across the channel from dorm
first sketch
Murali Ramaswami | Selected Work
B.ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS
mettur india
1984
55
D I C T A B I L I T Y . I T W O U L D B E C O N T R A D I C T O R Y T O F E E L F R U S T R A T E D B Y A R C H I T E C T S I N A B I L I T Y T O D E T E R M I N E P L A C E A N D Y E T A C C E P T P L A C E ' S I N - D E T E R M I N A N T N A T U R E . > A R C H I T E C T U R E O F T H E M A T E R I A L I Z E D L I N E .
museum: third floor administration/library studios/dorm rooms
studios across the channel from dorm
first sketch
Murali Ramaswami | Selected Work
B.ARCH THESIS: ART MUSEUM + SCHOOL OF ARTS
mettur india
1984
55
D I C T A B I L I T Y . I T W O U L D B E C O N T R A D I C T O R Y T O F E E L F R U S T R A T E D B Y A R C H I T E C T S I N A B I L I T Y T O D E T E R M I N E P L A C E A N D Y E T A C C E P T P L A C E ' S I N - D E T E R M I N A N T N A T U R E . > A R C H I T E C T U R E O F T H E M A T E R I A L I Z E D L I N E .
museum: third floor administration/library studios/dorm rooms