The Dark side of the Moon over a Lawn

The moon over Ahmedabad coupled with the silence of the night, provided the right ambience- partial darkness- to observe a ceremonial space. Aakash- the Party lawn, functions primarily as a wedding venue and is one of Ahmedabad’s most discussed spaces in the design circuit apart from the wedding circuit.

Having seen pictures of it many times, I was quite sure of its spatial organization and its themes.
The fundamentals of design and spatial organization are clearly evident, and the underlying theme is “flexibility of organization”, given the intended function.

For a lawn that is almost as big as a football field, Aakash is a landscape with spunk. Its central space and idea- the problem of uniform lighting and sound over vast spaces- is tackled in an industrial yet intelligent manner using curved trusses and custom designed luminaires. The same is true for acoustic distribution, with adjustable and uniform sound coverage. It can accomodate 7000 people under its trusses!!

Aakash marries allegories and metaphors of the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, with contemporary finishes and fixtures and responds completely to the business acumen of the Gujarati wanting to ensure financial remuneration for every square foot of development, and an experience that will make people come back again. To cater to this, the landscape architect has pushed all the new trees UP the side of walls and on roofs of flanking buildings, with the cantilevered tree pits covered with mirrors. Coupled with the trusses and their lights, this generates a space that is simply surreal.

In the interiors, Gold foil inlay works and murals rest comfortably alongside designed-for-the-site doors and lights. The color scheme and textures are mostly derived from the palette associated with Hindu weddings and festivals.

The Buddhist prayer wheels at the threshold of the walkway and the lawn, seem a pastiche- TILL u understand why those forms and number of wheels. But I wonder if wedding audiences are indeed informed of the intention behind this device...and are they bothered to commit to a ritual which many would not identify with, especially so during an Indian wedding, which is usually a cacophony of sights smells and sounds.

While it takes an out-of-the-box attitude to design a space like this, it takes more than a certain amount of enthusiasm and fortitude to believe in the vision of the architect and maintain its sheen after completion. In that, by the admission of the landscape architect, the client deserves to be acknowledged. Because of the efforts on both sides, this space is that glue between a client and an architect that many would wish for. Touchwood, for this pair. Hope they go from strength-to-strength.

But it was in the details that God rested in at Aakash. The lights are classy and the stormwater drain covers are more of a tribute to Mandu rather than an inspired adaptation.

This is where the next Pink Floyd concert with an opening act by Indian Ocean should be held- on a full moon night. It will be the closest thing to experiencing the Trinity. If it happens…I will see you on the Dark Side of the Moon.

(Pictures courtesy Design Today vol. V Number 3, Feb-March 2006)