Touch of Steel- Local studio Mathew & Ghosh Architects finishes MAP in Bangalore with unconventional design

From the mundane to theatrical, exotic to local in all respects, Mathew & Ghosh Architects designed a space for The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) that showcases Indian art & craft and visual culture while defying the idea of a traditional museum.

As per Mathew & Ghosh Architects co-founder Soumitro Ghosh,  “The architectural necessity for MAP has to be an unmissable part of the city for the visitor and the dweller alike, it has to be remarkable to command the attention.”

“The responsibility of architectural design of a museum in its internal enclosure is however to give complete foreground to art in all possible, within and around the building,” he told Dezeen.

The upper floors of the 4,000-square-metre museum are clad in stainless steel panels that are embossed with a cross pattern often found on water tanks.

According to the studio, this finish was designed to present the idea that art, like water, is precious.

“This is a metaphorical reference to the capacity of art to create a thrust on society and culture for reflection, change and evolution,” said Ghosh, who lead the studio alongside Nisha Mathew.

The museum has a vast 620 square metres of gallery space, with a large L-shaped exhibition space on the ground floor set to be free to the public.

On the floors above, the steel frame is designed to allow for large column-free spaces, including the 130-seat auditorium placed on the first floor.

Above this are four galleries that will be used for paid exhibitions, along with a member’s lounge, library and learning centre.Throughout the design, the enclosed gallery spaces along with circulation spaces are filled with natural light.

“The need to isolate precious artworks and artefacts from the exposure to ultraviolet light necessitated an opaque enclosure for the main galleries at the upper levels, along with required temperature and humidity control,” said Ghosh.

Besides this the building has a rooftop restaurant and cafe that are designed as “a sanctuary” within the garden city.

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