1 Shanthi Road: An Urban Art and Culture Hub
1 Shanthi Road is more than a building; it is a living ecosystem. This collection showcases my foundational work in creating spaces that act as cultural anchors, where architecture meets artistic inquiry.
A glimpse into the 'Playfield 1SR' workshop, an immersive studio I curated to celebrate 20 years of 1 Shanthi Road. This video shows the creative process as young architects and artists developed new artistic representations of the building's architecture and lived life.
A heartfelt moment from the 20th-anniversary celebration of 1 Shanthi Road, honoring its founder, Suresh Jayaram. This space has taught me how to pump life into architecture, and it was a privilege to be the architect for such a vital cultural legacy.
An attendee at the Playfield 1SR exhibition closely examines an artwork with a magnifying glass. This captures the spirit of the show, which invited viewers to look deeper, decipher layers of meaning, and engage with the space in a new way.
"Hoard Enations" by Ajith Salvin, a detailed axonometric drawing that reimagines 1 Shanthi Road as a complex, industrial machine. This piece is a bold and intuitive take on the constant flow of art and ideas that pass through the space.
The artwork "Portrait of A House" by Aranya Naganur, shown here as both a paper cutout and a large-scale projection. This piece merges the founder's identity with the building's architecture, exploring how a person can become the embodiment of a space.
This video highlights the intricate details of Sadhvi Lakhnapal's work, "Wherever you are is the point of entry." She used only text as a tool to represent the space, creating a complex composition that asks profound questions about art, architecture, and self-discovery.
Vidya Ruparelia's artwork for Playfield 1SR, projected onto the gallery floor. Her piece abstracts architectural elements of 1 Shanthi Road into a dynamic composition, exploring the idea of filling a cosmic void with form and meaning.
A creative photograph by Bakul Jani, transforming the iconic red spiral staircase of 1 Shanthi Road into a symmetrical, deity-like figure. This artistic interpretation reveals the hidden characters and personalities within the architecture.
The promotional graphic for Ajith Salvin's artwork, "Hoard Enations." The title itself is a play on words, referencing the hoarding nature of a collector and the idea of emanations, or things that flow out from a source.
The official announcement for "At the Crossroads of Time," the exhibition celebrating 20 years of 1 Shanthi Road. The graphic features a stylized elevation of the building, inviting the public to explore its rich history.
About 1 Shanthi Road: An Urban Art & Culture Hub
When I guide students through 1 Shanthi Road, we don't just study structure; we explore it as a breathing organism. This exhibition, 'Playfield 1SR,' captures the raw process of young architects deconstructing the site's history through illustration, forcing us to look beyond walls and into the narratives they hold.
The images here document 'Playfield 1SR,' a workshop and exhibition celebrating two decades of 1 Shanthi Road. For me, this building has always been a laboratory of spatial design. As the architect, I wanted to understand how a space I designed could be interpreted by a new generation of creative minds.
We spent the week asking hard questions: How does a space dissolve hierarchy? Where do public and private spheres blur? The students didn't just draft plans; they used art as a tool to map the soul of the building. You will see technical axonometric drawings reimagined as industrial steampunk machines, paper cutouts casting shadows that represent the founder’s presence, and digital abstractions exploring the building as a 'cosmic void.'
This is not typical architectural documentation. These visuals are an invitation to see architecture as a lived experience rather than a static object. Whether we are designing a school, a gallery, or an urban installation, my goal is always to create these pockets of connection. If you are looking for design that prioritizes context, adaptive reuse, and cultural resonance over rigid styles, my practice approaches every project as a fresh, site-specific journey. We aren't just placing walls; we are setting the stage for life to unfold.
Meeta Jain Architects
I view architecture as a sacred creative endeavour rather than a routine build. My practice is built on a deep curiosity about how spaces shape human connection, and I am always looking for collaborators who want to build with purpose.
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