The Metropolitan | Morphogenesis

Gurgaon / India / 2003

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‘The Metropolitan’, the first large format enclosed mall in north India was an opportunity to create a landmark designed as a large local attractor catering to the demands of the rapidly emerging township in Gurgaon. It was considered essential to incorporate an Indian essence and yet respond to the technological, functional and commercial demands. The design program which included a multiplex and a food court in addition to the retail was seen as ideal to create an urban activity center analogous to the role of the bazaar in a traditional city.


 


The Entrance to the mall is designed to allow both a vehicular drop off as well as to give clear access to pedestrians. A large forecourt, landscaped and paved in granite, leads pedestrians into the mall. This forecourt is designed to be a space for events, to recreate traditional street culture and to be an urban meeting space. The forecourt leads on through a frameless glazed wall into the internal space of the mall. This allows the connection between the exterior event space and the atrium to be visually and functionally maintained and the transition to occur imperceptibly.


 


The atrium space, designed as a protected and inviting space, provides the potential for a re-establishment of street culture; responsive to transformation, festivals, and seasons, and creating a random mosaic of episodes romantically evocative of the bazaar. The vaulted atrium roof clad in translucent panels floods the space with a cool white light while providing protection from the sun.


 


The chosen materials for the interior of the mall are low maintenance, those least susceptible to weathering and vandalism, while lending the mall the visual appeal of an international facility. Stainless Steel used in various ways, for cladding, railings and for atrium furniture is an important unifying visual feature of the interior space. Stainless steel and timber benches provide clusters of seating through the atrium. The escalators clad in steel and lit with a cool blue light are the dramatic center piece of the atrium.


 


The Metropolitan mall takes an international building type and reinterprets it by referencing the traditional bazaars of Indian cities. By recreating the vibrant feel of the bazaar the mall has the potential for reestablishing a sense of urban life.


 

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    ‘The Metropolitan’, the first large format enclosed mall in north India was an opportunity to create a landmark designed as a large local attractor catering to the demands of the rapidly emerging township in Gurgaon. It was considered essential to incorporate an Indian essence and yet respond to the technological, functional and commercial demands. The design program which included a multiplex and a food court in addition to the retail was seen as ideal to create an urban activity...

    Project details
    • Year 2003
    • Work started in 2000
    • Work finished in 2003
    • Client MGF
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Theatres
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