COMMERCIAL COMPLEX-1, PALGHAR |
The design attempts to create a dialogue with its surroundings specifically the street in front. The building is a ‘C’ shaped form with a central open space opening towards the road side. The gesture of the commercial complex is inviting the people and serves as an urban public place- an open space for shopping, meeting, seating, eating, etc. The visitor is invited from the street by a stepped plaza to the shops at the plinth level. The steps are like traditional ghats on waterfronts. The shops are lined around an arcade on Ground Floor. The upper two levels consist of offices which can be approached by a glass lift. The glazing of the buildings is arranged in inverted manner to create inverse pyramidical form – the glass façade is to reflect the surroundings landscape. The 22 shops sizes range from 150sft to 200sft for functions of grocery, hardware, small café, bank, repair, etc. The 44 offices range from 150sft to 400 sft. A ramp leads to the basement for parking and mechanical services.