Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Project / Hospital Project

[Fusionist]

German Architects design Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Complex

German architect GMP has won the provincial government of Tamil Nadu’s international invitation to tender for the design of the new state parliament building in Chennai. The project is due to be completed by 2010.

GMP is a united venture of Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg, who have planned and realized buildings in almost all major cities in Germany. The duo is famous worldwide for their magnificent designs in countries like Russia and China.

The design of the parliament building takes account of the state's cultural traditions as well as the urban context of the city of Chennai. With its highly visible dome, the design echoes the structural features of Dravidian temple complexes in south India.

The geometry of the complex’s structure is derived from the traditional, round chakra or mandala motif, consisting of circles of various sizes inscribed in 36 isosceles triangles. These basic shapes make up the geometrical structure of the entire design in both ground plan and elevation.

The internal plan features courtyard architecture with five round interior courts that are functionally differentiated, creating public, semi-public and also secure internal areas.

The spacious Citizens' Forum on the south side of the building is created by the largest circle in the mandala. It is both the opening towards the city and the entrance area, with public functional areas.

The three other round courtyards in the interior of the building house the Assembly Hall, the Legislative Assembly Chamber and the Convention Hall.

The state parliament rests on a battered plinth and is landscaped all round. The glass dome over the Assembly Hall marks the seat of the Tamil parliament.

http://www.german-info.com/gsa_shownews.php?pid=26

[Jai]

Now seeing a clearer rendering of it, I can see better how it was influenced by courtyard and mandala form

Looks great

[kvijayasundaram]

http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/22/stor...2250190100.htm

The demolition of the Government House here, the oldest building on the Government Estate, has begun.

On Monday, workers were breaking the roof of the heritage building, commonly known as the Admiralty House, with giant hammers. The demolition will be completed in 40 days, according to an official of the Public Works Department, the custodian of the Estate properties. Some other buildings on the Estate will also be demolished, including the old MLAs’ quarters. The official says that as the buildings are vacated, they will be pulled down. The department hopes to complete the demolition of all the identified buildings by the end of next month.

The exercise is being carried out to facilitate the execution of the Rs. 200-crore Assembly complex project.

The government has selected a German-based architectural firm for the Assembly project. As per the present proposals, there will be two blocks – one housing the Assembly complex and offices of the Chief Minister and Ministers and the other accommodating offices of various government departments. While the first block will have ground and six floors, the second is likely to be a high-rise building, having a maximum of 20 floors. The government is planning to commence the construction of the proposed Assembly complex by September.

Till recently, the Government House building was occupied by the different wings of the Police department such as Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) wing, the Economic Offences wing and Narcotics Intelligence Bureau-CID. The wings have been shifted to different places in the city. In the mid-1990s, the building, as a makeshift arrangement, even served as the headquarters of the Police department when the government undertook renovation of the DGP office building on the Marina, which is yet another heritage landmark. Till Independence, the Government House was the residence of Governors. For sometime, it also functioned as the MLAs’ hostel.

S. Muthiah, historian, wrote about the importance of the heritage monument on several occasions in The Hindu. In his column on October 29 last year, he wrote that after the French left the Fort St. George’s buildings in a shambles, Governor Thomas Saunders of the British East India Company in 1752 rented a house belonging to the wealthy Mrs. Antonia de Madeiros just across the Island from the Fort. On August 28, 1753 the Government of Madras bought the house for 3500 pagodas to serve as the Governor’s garden house. Only in 1947 did the Governor’s residence move to the present location in Guindy – Raj Bhavan.

[Fusionist]

Sad to see a heritage building go. Where exactly is this building located ?

Anyways about the new building, I like the concept but I stil ltihnk the building would have looked better if it had omre intricacy in design. Right now from the render it looks somewhat flat and brutal. If not for the circular shape, had it been squarish it would have looked simply harsh and nothing more. So my fingers are still crossed on this one..

[PlaneMad]

Its quite a beautiful building, so sad they they are pulling it down. Its located inside the omarandurar estate behind the rajaji hall. Luckily i have a few pics of this place as photography isnt allowed inside.

[Arul Murugan]

Old MLA hostel buildings are pulled down for this project



Source: Dinakaran

[Arul Murugan]

I think the correct location of this thread should be in Tamilnadu subforum!!

[Rasnaboy]

Any images/designs of the proposed multi-storied building of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Complex? I heard it will be more than 20 floors high.

[MaduraiSelvam]

Originally Posted by Arul Murugan

I think the correct location of this thread should be in Tamilnadu subforum!!

I do agree with this, please change this reading to Tamilnadu forum.

[satsukhoi]

Chennai: Chief minister M Karunanidhi will lay the foundation stone for the Tamil Parliament, the new assembly complex, on June 12. The function will be held in the Omandurar Government Estate, where a make-shift dais will be set up near the Rajaji Hall.
It will be presided over by finance minister K Anbazhagan. Local administration minister M K Stalin will be conspicuous by his absence as he is away in London.
The new complex will have two blocks. The first one will house the assembly, chief minister’s secretariat, other ministers’ offices and core departments like finance, home, public and law. It will be opened in February, 2010. The second block, which will house the secretariat and offices will be ready by 2010-end.
German architects Gerkan, Marg and Partner have done the design for the new complex.
Public Works Department sources said global tenders for constructing the assembly complex would be invited by July-end and work would begin in October.
As per the original plan, the project was expected to cost Rs 200 crore. However, with cement, steel and other building prices skyrocketing, the cost could touch Rs 250 crore. .

A model of the proposed assembly building

[Raj_network]

Source Please...

[Rasnaboy]

Assembly block work may begin by middle of September
— T. Ramakrishnan

Germany-based company to make presentation before Chief Minister on designs

CHENNAI: Civil works of the main component of the Assembly complex project is likely to begin by the middle of September.

On June 11, representatives of the Germany-based architectural company, GMP International, will make a presentation before Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on detailed designs and drawings of the Assembly complex’s main component, to be called Block A.

This block will accommodate the offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers and some core departments, according to an official of the Public Works Department (PWD), the executing agency.

Schematic plan


The company will also present its schematic plan of the other block the same day.

A month later, it is likely to come back to the State government with the detailed plans, the official says.

Separate bids


The PWD has decided to float bids for the construction of the two blocks separately. For the main block, the tender process will be initiated by the first week of August. In a month, the selection of the contractor will be done.

This block will have ground plus six floors and its area is likely to be around seven lakh sq. ft.

Demolition of the Government House, the oldest building on the Government Estate, is under way. Most of it has been razed.

The work, which began in the third week of April, will be completed in a week. Estimated to cost Rs.200 crore, the project is slated for completion by March 2010.

As a mark of commencing the work symbolically, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone for the proposed complex at a function near Rajaji Hall on the estate on June 12.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/07/stor...0760410800.htm

[madurai veeran]

New Assembly complex to have elements of Valluvar Kottam

CHENNAI: The new Assembly complex planned for Tamil Nadu will have a mix of both modern and traditional Tamil architecture, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Wednesday.

“There will be elements from Valluvar Kottam and it will also look modern,” Mr. Karunanidhi said. From the outside it will have a futuristic look, to signify that the State is staying abreast of the times. At the same time, there will be a courtyard, an extensive use of traditional Tamil Kolam art and elements from the Valluvar Kottam such as the dome, he said.

Berlin-based German architects von Gerkan, Marg und Partner had won the competition for designing Tamil Nadu’s Legislative Assembly building.

Design

The design chosen had a contemporary architectural language that significantly departed from the early civic buildings such as Valluvar Kottam. The German architects claim on their website that the design is derived from traditional shapes and it echoes the structural features of Dravidian temple complexes. The internal plan has five round courtyards, of which three would house the Assembly Hall, the Legislative Assembly Chamber and the Convention Hall. The large outer courtyard would be the citizen’s forum.

Speaking to The Hindu after sitting through a nearly hour-long presentation from the architects of the new Assembly complex, the Chief Minister said that some modifications had been carried out to the earlier plan to keep in line with the Tamil traditional architecture.

The team had made a presentation about a month ago. Then, the Chief Minister, whose first stint in the Cabinet was as Public Works Minister, wanted a change in the design of the dome proposed for the complex.

Initially, it was similar to a structure in Malaysia and the Chief Minister wanted this modified so that it would look like the dome of a temple car – similar to the dome at Valluvar Kottam.

Apart from incorporating architectural elements to make the structure more Dravidian, there is no change in the area from the first design presented, officials said. The Assembly building will be spread over an area of 1,60,000 square metres.

The Chief Minister lays the foundation stone for the structure on Thursday.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/12/stor...1254440600.htm

[cbeboy]

Stone laid for new Assembly complex


Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the new Legislative Assembly complex and Secretariat at the Omandurar Government Estate here. The Assembly complex, spread over 1.2 lakh square metres in two blocks, will have a mix of both traditional and modern features. The Assembly division will have seating for 300 MLAs.

The 2010-2011 State budget will be presented in the new Legislative Assembly, said Public Works Department Minister Durai Murugan. Chief Justice of the Madras High Court A.K. Ganguly, speaking on the decision to attend the function, said the normal practice was for “judiciary and its members” to stay away from the other arms of the State — executive and legislature. “That is the conventional view. I think judiciary is a part of the State. That is also the Constitutional dispensation. Being part of the State, Judges and judiciary are not out of place in this evening’s function.”

Mr. Karunanidhi, who took permission from the Chief Justice to speak remaining seated, explained that the complex was not coming up at the cost of other schemes. He recalled many of the schemes being implemented, to stress that the government was serious about all development schemes. It needed a new place for legislators to debate on the schemes. He called upon the PWD Minister and the department not be swayed by hostile opinion and wanted them to complete the project at the earliest.

Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan said the movement from inside Fort to the government estate was symbolic as it represented one more step closer to the people.

[Fusionist]

is the latest more 'Dravidian' design out somewhere ? I hope it is not a way of telling that they have already downgraded the design.

Overall I am not to impressed with the design, it is too blockish, typical German design, masculine dark & bold, lacking intricacy. Should have gone for something with a bit more flair. I hope the new added elements makes it a bit more lively.

[Rasnaboy]

...

[Indian Sun]

Originally Posted by Fusionist

is the latest more 'Dravidian' design out somewhere ? I hope it is not a way of telling that they have already downgraded the design.

Overall I am not to impressed with the design, it is too blockish, typical German design, masculine dark & bold, lacking intricacy. Should have gone for something with a bit more flair. I hope the new added elements makes it a bit more lively.

agree with u...

[senthil2001msk]

New secretariat will be city's tallest building

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...ow/3128164.cms

CHENNAI: The government will literally tower over the citizens of Chennai in about two years. Chennai’s next skyscraper - the secretariat, set to come up adjacent to the assembly building inside the Omandurar Government Estate on Mount Road - will be the tallest building in the city limits by the end of 2010.

The 20-storeyed building, which will house government departments, will come up close to the futuristic assembly complex, for which the foundation stone was laid on Thursday.

[archmoonraker]

THE UGLIEST BUILDING EVER DESIGNED TOTAL FAILURE IN TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE ALL CIRLCES MEANT FOR POLITICAL DISASTER FOR THE PARTY DECIDING TO BUILD THIS RECKLESS SPACE WHICH IS TOTALLY AGAINST VAASTU

[archmoonraker]

THIS BUILDING IS A POLITICAL DISASTER AS IT IS THE UGLIEST BUILDING EVER DESIGNED TOTAL FAILURE IN TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE ALL CIRLCES, POLITCAL PARTIES WILL GO IN CIRCLES AND I PITY THE CITIZENS OF TAMILNADU. THIS IS MEANT FOR POLITICAL DISASTER FOR THE PARTY DECIDING TO BUILD THIS RECKLESS SPACE WHICH IS TOTALLY AGAINST VAASTU AND IT IS ALSO TAKEN TO COURT AS THIS VERY SLECTION OF ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS IS ILLEGAL AND AGAINST THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS AND THE COUNCIL OF ARCHITECTURE REGULATIONS. THIS MATTER IS IN COURT AND HOW COME NO RENOWNED INDIAN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM PARTICIPATED IN SUBMITTING DESIGNS FOR THIS PROJECT AS THIS WAS A COMPETITION HELD WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE COUNCIL OF ARCHITECTURE REGULATIONS.