IUCAA

The Inter University of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in the Pune University campus, has given Indian architecture perhaps one of its most vivid and copied open spaces- a series of courtyards. The architect's design narrative for the project can be accessed in the monograph “Charles Correa” by Kenneth Frampton (Thames and Hudson, 1999). However the design contains enough to be interpreted differently. The central courtyard is the space that I have been lucky to visit twice.

At IUCAA, Astrophysics and Astronomy recur as a leitmotif , be it in the colours, the names, forms or details.
One of the smaller courtyards flanking the central one is designed as a Binary Star - accomodating two Ficus trees already growing with the courtyard, such that the plan of the courtyard largely corresponded to the image of a Binary star and its resultant three dimensional gravitational space (Roche lobe) given above. The other courtyard is more two dimensional with a planting arrangement in the form of a Sierpenski triangle.

The design of the central courtyard as a kund is married to the softscape design of a blackhole seen through a radio telescope. The use of the kund imagery is potent since it directly alludes to the Sun God- Surya, whose temples in India were celebrated with the presence of the Surya Kund. The primordial source of energy was shown to be concentrated in a hole that appeared to descend into something inescapable (water as a trap for the sun’s energy, thus getting charged with the sun’s powers). This narrative is not very different from Modern astrophysics’ description of a Black Hole.
The converging/ descending lines of the kund indicate a centripetal force, while the randomness of the paving at the corners of the kund complete the illustration of centrifugal energy.

Other narratives include the code between the statues of Newton, Aryabhatta, Copernicus and Einstein. Though each of them is modeled on an action that alludes to their contribution to science (for e.g. Newton gazing at the apple on the ground), their place with respect to each other conveys a silent message.

It is rare to come across a series of photographs that illustrate the genesis of the designed landscape- from concept to youth to maturity. A fair bit of luck has come this way through some real and virtual resources- thanks to IUCAA based web pages hosted by Mr Meghnad and Mr Yogesh @ IUCAA.

Possibly, the planting of perimeter trees is also some sort of a solar-based calendar, each tree blooming/ shedding leaves at a particular time of the year- a Nakshatra Vana (Garden of the Constellations) perhaps. Still trying to verify this from pics like these taken on my last visit.

The blend of ancient and modern and the dualisms contained therein, make IUCAA a poignant exploration as a designed space. As a place, it is a testimony to the fact that architecture can elevate any function from the mundane to something esoteric, yet rooted.

Archival Images courtesy:
The IUCAA Story: http://meghnad.iucaa.ernet.in/yogimages/story.html
IUCAA in Pictures: http://meghnad.iucaa.ernet.in/pictures.shtml
“Charles Correa” by Kenneth Frampton (Thames and Hudson, 1999).