Project Name: I’timad-ud-Daulah Visitors Facilities, Agra
Office Name: Enso Design
Office Website: www.ensodesign.in
Social Media Accounts: Instagram: @enso.design
Facebook: Enso Design
Contact email: info@ensodesign.in
Firm Location: New Delhi
Completion Year: 2017
Gross Built Area (m2/ ft2):
Project location: Agra
Program: - Ticketing and Interpretation center, ASI ( Archaeological Survey of India) site office, visitor's toilet facility
Lead Architect: Chinglemba Chingtham
Lead Architect email: chingtham@ensodesign.in
Design Team: Chinglemba Chingtham , Ajaydeep Jamwal, Sahiba Singh
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The visitor facilities at I'timad-ud-Daulah, Agra for World Monuments Fund and the Archaeological Survey of India is conceived to promote, raise awareness and visibility of the monument and the gardens as they are often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, the Taj Mahal. The I’timad-ud-Daulah’s tomb often described as ‘Jewel Box’ is one of the most impressive architectural wonders of the city of Agra made entirely of white marble with intricate pietra dura style decoration, motifs of flora, geometric structure, trees in semi-precious stones.
The new visitor facilities include ticketing area, interpretation center, ASI site office and visitor toilets.
The office and ticketing/interpretation are deliberately laid out on either side of the main entrance to intuitively allow the visitors to engage with the interactive kiosks at the interpretation center. It offers the local residents and tourists an opportunity to learn more about the history of the magnificent monument and the gardens through interactive exhibition kiosks.
Reclaimed lakhori bricks of the original structures that was demolished were painstakingly restored and used in combination with local red agra sandstone blocks to curate and construct the three low lying structures. The new structures gently and subtly make its presence at the entrance respecting the magnificent 17th century monument in the background with its scale, proportions and materiality.
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