abin design studio mixes ceramics and brickwork with its gallery house in india

with its recently completed gallery house community center, abin design studio (ADS) makes the most of a commission to design a parking garage in bansberia, india. following the client’s initial request for the garage structure with staff quarters above, the design team resolved to elevate the simple program into an opportunity to give back to the community. the gallery house was first organized with vehicle parking on the ground level together with a multi-purpose activity space above to be used by the neighborhood. encouraged to maximize public utility, the structure visually and physically extends into the street. most notably, the project expresses a rich and varied patterning of brickwork, marking a highlight among the area’s diverse language.

images by edmund sumner | @edmundsumner

introducing a new architectural expression to the community, abin design studio‘s gallery house takes cues from the terracotta temples of bengal. exposed brick masonry walls inlaid with ceramic blocks define the building envelope as a contemporary expression of the traditional inspiration. collaborating with a ceramic artist, the team collected rejected ceramic blocks which had been produced for industrial use while terracotta bricks were sourced from a riverside brick field nearby. these two materials were combined by local craftsmen into a hybridization of masonry patterning.

the client rejected the initial parking garage program during the construction of abin design studio’s gallery house. inspired by its development and realization, the team was encouraged to instead embrace its community-oriented strategy to re-purpose the ground floor has a community hall rather than a parking area. the upper floor was then developed into a multipurpose-room, lounge, and pantry. this space primarily hosts tuition classes and yoga sessions to the local community. at night, it functions as a dormitory for resident staff. the design team comments: ‘the client enjoys a sense of pride and joy of ownership seeing the space put to good use.’

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project info:

project title: gallery house

architecture: abin design studio | @abindesignstudio

location: bansberia, west bengal, india

principal designer: abin chaudhuri

design team: sohomdeep sinha roy, qurratul ain maryam

structure: soma kazi

project coordination: debjit samanta, debkishor das, dipankar mondal

ceramic artist: partha dasgupta

completion: january 2020

photography: edmund sumner | @edmundsumner