NRITYAGRAM, Bangalore

Located on the out-skirts of Bangalore, this unusually conceived & designed institution for Indian
classical dance has been much discussed in the architectural & lay media since it was inaugurated in
May 1990.

Nrityagram, an
institution that
seeks to revive the
traditional gurushishya method of
training and
developed in Indian
classical dance, is
situated about 35km
outside Bangalore.
The brain-child of
the well known
dancer, Protima
Gauri Bedi, the
scheme envisages a
complex of several
gurukul, each
dedicated to a specific dance form.
Gerard da Cunha, the architect of Nrityagram, practises in Goa( in partnership with Dean dCruz)
under the title Natural Architecture. This choice of name is no mere whim, for it signifies a belief in
what the state of architecture should be-that which does not decide everything in advance within the
artificial and isolated context of the drawing board and office, but evolves naturally on site.
This approach would combine the roles of architect and builder, actual construction starting with only
a general notion of the overall organisation of the building and its materials and methods of
construction. This would be described in a set of basic plans and sections, which would serve for the
articulation of the architects concept as well as obtaining the clients approval.
The design evolves on site through the act of building, and in this discussion, this approach is termed
as Evolutionist, which stands in sharp contrast to the conventionally accepted approach, where
architecture is a specialized activity divorced from construction; the building is conceived in detail on
the drawing board, and construction is viewed only as a mechanical execution of predetermined
instructions. This later approach has been termed here as Conceptualist.
The Evolutionist approach:

Do not try to decide every aspect of the building in advance, since it is humanly impossible to
simultaneously consider the large number of variables involved. Proceed wih general
decisions, and defer decisions on specifics and detail to the appropriate moment.
Do not separate the act of architectural design & the act of building---creative design is an
integral part of the building

Give the worker on the site scope for creation---this draws out the most dedication and
produces the best results
Employ local or esily adaptable technology to obtain worker involvement
Do not get subjugated to standards and systems, and allow the idiosyncracies and quirks that
make the act of building interesting
Do not get absorbed in bureaucratic procedures
Consider the client as a participant in creative building.

Gerard arrived to face the task of designing & building Nrityagram through:
The use of granite as a locally available, termite-free material for columns, foundations and
roofs;
The process of forming rooms with clearly defined, simple geometries that would allow
spanning stone slab roofs across them;
The use of stone plinth beams to distribute foundation loads in uncertain soils;
The different types of mud that can be used for mortar in different situations;
The manner in which stone columns & capitals are made;
The different types of mortar that can be used for mortar in different situations;
The manner in which stone columns & capitals are made;
The techniques of cutting, dressing & lifting stones etc.
Eclectic development of walls using different kinds and sizes of stone.

The axis development suggested by the linear site began at its southern end next to a telephone line
and a grove of casuarinas trees( the only existing feature of the site).
Starting with a yoga hall & temple, it developed with the gurukuls along the eastern edge, with the
services that support them alongside on the west. The main entry into the axis lies between the yoga
centre and the first gurukul. Howerever, while this was a general concept, no definite master plan was
made, and growth was to take place through a gradual process of adaptation.
The design of the gurukul recognized four distinct elements:
1. The gurus house,

2. The boys residence,

3. The girls residence
4. The practice hall

These four elements were gathered around a courtyard, which became a central gathering point, with
the stair to the roof placed here as an element to sit on and watch the activity of the practice hall.
The use of stone slab roofs determined the simple rectilinear geometry of the residences, and the
gurus house was located so that it could have its own private spillover to the eastern side.
The practice hall, requiring a larger span, had a palm thatched roof. The service block had a curved
shape to smoothen the passage of entry, and this geometry led to the decision of a thatched roof.
Construction began as soon as the design was understood in terms of an overall building plan, section
studies, and a foundation plan (all done to a scale of 1:100). Design development then took place on
site, sometimes supplemented by detail drawing studies at a scale of 1:20. All drawings were done
freehand, a scale and pencil being the only drawing instruments used.
It is clear from a single glance at the ad hocism and variation of the finished building that it is a
product of the Evolutionist rather than the Conceptualist school.
In reflecting over the design, and comparing the two approaches, it seems useful to catagorize the
evolution under the following headings:
Sensitivity to local conditions
All design decisions were taken at the site, with Gerard actually living there. While the Evolutionist
designer( unless he is devoting himself to only one project at a time) may not always maintain such a
close relationship to the site, the fact remains that his links are always significantly closer than the
Conceptualist. This fact is felt in two ways: First, existing features on the site tend to have greater
impact on the layout, as their immediate presence allows a reasonably accurate evaluation.

Totality of Spacial Elements

Although the design in terms of its overall development, each individual space is tightly defined,
especially in terms of its sense of enclosure, which arises both out of the choice to employ traditional
methods of construction, and the ability to accurately visualize the finished space by actually being
there.
Treatment of Surfaces, Textures and Junctions
In a Conceptualist approach, small elements of construction tend to get merged into the larger
systems, whereas to the Evolutionist, they take on a greater meaning. The presence of the designer,
and the resultant greater awareness of design that permates through the site gives each individual
element its own identity, which is not necessarily subservient to a larger issue. In fact, one might even
go so far as to say that the placing of each stone is a design decision. This creates a much richer sense
of mass, surface and texture than that which might be found in the typical Conceptualist enterprise,
where there is a pressure to standardize in order to achieve the clarity or brevity of description that are
usually considered desirable qualities of a good set of working drawings.
Touch of the Bizzare

Details such as these composite arches springing from the granite base are the outcome of a sensitive,
yet creative application of local construction techniques & materials.
The Ethics of Labour
Workmanship is the ability to carry out an act well, and its availability is usually a function of supply
and demand ratios or cultural definitions of standards of acceptability. However craftsmanship goes
beyond this, and is more than just neatness and precision. Craftsmanship has soul, and is the evidence
of a loving hand. It is the product of creativity, and can never be the result of a mechanically executed
act. Leaves room for adaptation, interpretation & correction. Explain the workers what you are trying
to do , and youve got a highly motivated and creative work force. But this issue is more than a matter

of achieving the best design

result, and deals with a basic
attitude towards labour and
human condition.
Involvement of the Client
Control of Cost
Evolutionists ability to meet a
predetermined budget and his
lower overheads and greater
adaptability give him a better
chance of building at a low
cost.
Spirit of Vernacular

The recent fallout in the past

decades or so from the
International Style and the
subsequent demand for
architecture with stronger
cultural connections, has often
led to a call for recovering a
vernacular style.
The word vernacular is derived from the Latin word verna which means slave, and was first
applied to architecture to indicate lowly and idiomatic forms of building. In opposition to this was the
classical view, which sought to construct an ideal world. The aspiration, of a platonic vision that
pierced the distracting fog of immediate reality to recognize the perfect and ideal, eventually led to a
concept of opposed to lowly, un-ambitious gestures to the vernacular. And the necessity to describe
the perfect led to the development of a highly structured and codified language which defined,
precisely, the relationship between its elements. Vernacular architecture never needed to submit to this
discipline, and usually adopted compositional systems that developed juxtapositions and sequences,
rather than submission to n overall order- a strategy of composition.
Use and development of architectural typologies that have their basis in ritual, social structure, and
other cultural phenomena.
Development of Regionalism
Even if a true vernacular architecture cannot be achieved, one of its important aspectsRegionalism( where a region acquires its own distinct character)- is a more easily realizable objective.
Local skills.