Crystal Hall, a conglomeration of five buildings, redefines the relationship between man, history, and nature. The building, measuring about 850 square meters (8985 sqft), took a period of 5 years to be constructed from 2014 to 2019. The architect (with the compliance of the client, Mrs. Pennamma) often constructed full-size models of bamboo and white cloth, moving them around the site to achieve perfect proportions.
Embedded in the nuances of tradition & modernity, a style the architect calls Paleo-modern (paleo meaning first). It harks back to the intrinsic properties of the principles of architecture across cultures: symmetry, balance, scale, unity, rhythm & the Golden Mean (1:1.618) & the square.
Editor’s Note: The Crystal Hall stands as a poetic testament to harmony between man, nature, and time. A sanctuary where every corner whispers of spirituality, sensuality, and sustainability, it transcends mere architecture. This space invites a timeless connection to the earth, sky, and the ethereal, evoking a serene dialogue between tradition and modernity. ~ Isha Bora
The Crystal Hall in Bangalore is Embedded in the Tradition and Modernity | Thomas Abraham
In the Stele of the Soul, the architect created a prayer room with a cross. Instead of a physical cross, he created an ethereal cross of light using sunlight. He used the pinhole camera (camera obscura) principle wherein light enters through a small hole into a dark room. It magnifies the image from the outside and throws it on the opposite wall.
The viewer can see an inverted image of the view outside on the wall. Since, the pinhole was made in the shape of a cross, the magnified image on the opposite wall is also in the shape of the cross.
The goal was not only to reflect the exterior image upside down onto the wall but also to create what he calls the Cross of Light. Since the cross appears dim to the human eye, it slowly brightens as the eye adjusts to the dark tower.
Light in places of worship goes right back to antiquity—from Luxor (where, on particular days of the year, the sunlight falls on the image of the deity) to the Gothic cathedrals where the stained-glass light filters in. Moreover, it creates an atmosphere of paradise inside.
In front of the two towers are two outhouse buildings. Both these buildings are perfect cubes with grand staircases, called Escaliers. To access the first floor, a person must climb the staircase to the terrace & then climb down via a minimal spiral staircase to the first floor. This convoluted circulation is architecture as drama & theatre.
The structure consists of an eclectic mix of glass, MS columns, and cast-in-situ concrete. The outer layer glass specifications are Saint Gobain 12 mm ST 167. The inner layer glass specifications are Saint Gobain 6 mm CLEAR TG + 1:52 PVB + 6 mm ST.
Between the two layers of glass is a tropical garden providing visual, aural, and heat insulation. The structure has a colonnade of glass outside in the verandah where hanging laminated glass columns 30 mm thick are suspended from an MS pergola, 30 feet above the floor.
However, this glass colonnade is in 2 layers with LED strip lighting used behind it to highlight its green hues. The glass columns in the verandah are prevented from sagging by a cable structure that is tightened by cables on the RCC beam.
Additionally, these colonnades form a veranda, a fitting feature given the building’s location in ‘Angalapura.’ As in the local language, ‘Angalapura’ translates to ‘the place of verandas.’
The Hall of the Western Sun has an entire wall, 27 feet high, crafted from white, toughened Planilaque glass of 4 mm thickness, creating a lustrous effect. Furthermore, the same Asian Paints Satin emulsion was applied uniformly across all surfaces—MS, wood, and plaster. However, this was to achieve a cohesive finish throughout the structure.
Keeping up with the white theme, the flooring is a composite of pure white marble sandwich tiles 32” by 32” with paper joints & Weber grouting so that the white joints retain their colour throughout the life of the building. The windmills generate power as a backup power source. However, it can be connected to the grid, supplying excess back to the city grid.
Yet, it is not just a building about sense, sensuality, & spirituality, but about sustainability. Crystal Hall has the first free-standing windmill towers (generating electricity) in global residential architecture.
The Crystal Hall is cast in the epic theme of the five elements—earth, wind, fire, water, and ether. Earth being the arena of grass, wind represented by the windmills, fire by the external fire bowl, water by the waterfalls into the stepped well water cone, and ether by the Stele of the Soul. Elevating craftsmanship & pushing the boundaries of art & architecture as we know it, The Crystal Hall aims to be a hallmark of design.
Fact File
Designed by: Thomas Abraham
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Crystal Hal
Location: Bangalore
Year Built: 2020
Built-up Area: 9900 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Thomas Abraham
Design Credits: Ar. Diana Jacil
Products / Materials / Vendors: Finishes – Asian Paints Satin Enamel Paint / Wallcovering / Cladding – St Gobain Planilaque Glass / Construction Materials – Mild Steel,12 mm ST 167 St Gobain Tuffon Glass, 12 mm ST 167 glass + 12 mm tuffon floor glass laminated / Lighting – hybes light fitting, prism lights / Doors and Partitions – century wpc / Sanitaryware – Cera / Facade Systems – Altech Systems / Flooring – Nitco 30 mm white marble sandwich tile / Kitchen – Custom – Sandeep Ceramics / Paint – Asian Paints Satin Enamel Paint / Hardware – Kin Long Hardware
Consultants for the Project: Civil – SVS Construction / Landscape Architects – Saad Pasha / MEP & HVAC Consultants – Kool Den ACF / Structure Engineers – S Laaiq / Environmental & Sustainability Consultants – IdeA Design House
Firm’s Instagram Link: Thomas Abraham
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