MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects 2015 - Commendations for Indian Starchitect Sanjay Puri!!

For architects and designers around the world, Cannes is a popular destination not for the very famous film festival, but for one of the most prestigious awards in their fraternity – the MIPIM Awards!! MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) is an international property event hosted in Cannes, France each March. Parallel to this event, the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards are also conducted. The 14^th cycle winners were awarded at the JW Marriott in Cannes. The awards celebrate excellence in un-built or incomplete projects spanning across twelve categories. 

With a strong focus on creativity, these awards are a chance to showcase projects that are examples of fine architecture, but have also responded to the client's development brief, and considered the way in which they will impact and contribute to the community around them. With architectural awards and recognition commonly focusing on current projects and designs, the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards provide a unique and exciting perspective. All entries were assessed by an international jury chaired by Paul Finch, Editorial Director, The Architectural Review & The Architects' Journal. In the recently concluded cycle of the Awards Indian design firm Sanjay Puri Architects won commendations in two categories of the Future Projects Awards – 63 Jodhpur bagged one in the Residential category; while Reservoir at Ras in Rajasthan was conferred a commendation in the category of Offices. This takes the total count of MIPIM Awards to 14, in the list of 55 international awards!! 

Both of these award-winning proposed projects located in Rajasthan are contemporary in style, but have a powerful contextual integrity, heavily borrowing inspiration from the region’s erstwhile architectural wisdom.

Famously known as the “Blue City”, the Indian city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan is located at the foot of the hill that the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort sits atop. Getting its pseudonym from the traditional blue lime-plastered exteriors that dot the landscape, the last few decades have seen a proliferation of buildings that reflect no responsibility towards the climate or the context. 

The site for the proposed residential development sits along an arterial city road. A mix of two and three bedroom apartments is created along the periphery of the site, angling them to face north and thus creating a large landscaped space within. Imbibing the organic character, the built form is fragmented with varying heights of each wing gradually descending from south to north. 

Taking a cue from the existing juxtaposition of the stone fort against the blue walls, the south facing walls are proposed in local sandstone while the north-facing stepped and terraced blocks are proposed to be finished in blue lime plaster. The stepping back of the building, while creating north-facing terraces increases the shelter on the southern side. The thematic design solution addresses the region’s primary concern of reducing heat gain, and also alludes to its architectural heritage.

Office spaces are created on the two north facing sides gradually stepping down at each level along the existing contours generating north facing landscaped terraces fronting each office. The opposite south facing sides are shaped into open stepped platforms along the site’s contours further generating landscaped spaces and creating a large community space, much like the one seen in traditional step-wells. Externally the southern side is protected by earth berms that rise to create sheltered parking spaces with lower berms on the northern sides.