Bangalore
1990-94

Since time immemorial, holy men and scholars in India have renounced the world and gone to live a life of contemplation in forests and high mountains. This age-old pattern was adopted as a metaphor for generating the layout of this new campus. The traditional renunciation of the world by the rishi (holy man) is here symbolized by a long curving wall, built of granite blocks, which encircles a forest in the center of the site.

The various facilities provided (research laboratories, lecture halls, library, residential accommodation, etc.) are on the other side of the wall- so that during the course of their studies and research, the scientists (truly the new rishis!) can step through the perforated granite wall, into the forest for wisdom & enlightenment. In a second phase, an additional set of research laboratories has been added, connected to the main building by a Fuller dome, celebrating the ‘Bucky Balls’.