by Judges praise ‘harmonious continuity’ in design that critics call ‘a copy with a different door colour’
The Prize for Fitting In
JAIPUR — The Rajasthan Institute of Architects presented its annual Heritage Harmony Award to architect Deepak Sandstone for a commercial building on Johari Bazaar that judges described as “a masterwork of contextual sensitivity” and neighbouring shopkeepers described as “the same as the building next to it, but the door is ochre instead of terracotta.”
Sandstone, 44, said the design philosophy emerged from deep study of Jaipur’s vernacular architecture, its proportions, its pink sandstone grammar, and what he calls “the city’s visual immune system, which rejects buildings that do not belong.” He spent fourteen months on the project. The building looks like it was built in 1870. This is the intended effect and also, by several measures, the actual problem.
The Judges’ Citation
The award citation praised the building’s “disciplined restraint in the face of modern material temptation,” its “faithful echo of traditional jharokha proportions,” and its “refusal to assert individual identity at the expense of collective urban memory.” A dissenting judge noted in an appendix that the building contains a Subway restaurant on the ground floor, which Sandstone confirmed is “contextually challenging but financially necessary” and which the citation does not mention.
The Subway outlet features the standard international Subway interior with fluorescent lighting, laminate countertops, and a promotional poster for a footlong deal, all of which are visible through windows framed in historically accurate sandstone detailing. Sandstone calls this “the tension between heritage and commerce.” The Subway manager calls it Tuesday.
Broader Impact
Jaipur’s heritage regulations require new construction in designated zones to reference traditional design elements, a policy that has produced, over thirty years, a city that looks simultaneously ancient and recently painted, authentic and slightly uncertain, which the UNESCO World Heritage listing describes as “living heritage” and architecture critics describe as “a very committed aesthetic with some very modern tenants.” Sandstone is working on his next project. It will, he confirms, look exactly like its neighbours. He considers this the highest compliment his profession can pay a place.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
