Mind Space Meditation Park, Ahemdabad, Gujarat, India by Rahul Arora

Media Student Architecture & Design Award 2018

 First Award | Category: Landscape Design

Architect:  Rahul Arora

Country: India
 

Meditation is an art of focusing the mind to a state of consciousness to achieve and realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content, or as an end in itself.

The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.

Meditation is performed to achieve

Spiritual goals - to connect with oneself and bring attention to believe in one flow of energy in
life

Religious worship - worship god keeping in mind specific culture and religion.

Physical Healing- to perform yoga and pranayama which acts as a catalyst to the meditation and achieve great physical and mental health.

Religion

Spirtuality                                                        Health

Various natural elements are linked to meditation and act as stimulant to attaining focus, such as sound
specific chant of words, ringing of bells, may evoke certain vibrations in body which relaxes the mind.

Another example may include light, the lighting of candle in a dark room helps gaining attention to one single place.

MINDSPACE MEDITATION PARK

INTRODUCTION

Meditation Park provides a time away from our normal activities to spend time getting
reacquainted with oneself, to silence mind and develop emotional strength in our selves. A
Meditation park can help people to connect to god in spiritual and religious ways. It also give
common ground to people to collaborate and perform activities like yoga and pranayama to achieve
physical health. For many people a meditation park can help awakening to the presence of God in
their lives. All the great spiritual traditions are about discovering ourselves in ways that help us to
grow in happiness and love.

AIM

The aim of the project is to design a meditation park that gives a retreat to the visitors, a resting place out of the humdrum of busy street life, a center for the community providing a palette of different atmosphere of meditation spaces for varied religious and spiritual beliefs to serve the huge cultural diversity.

OBJECTIVES

   To utilize the natural elements air, water, earth, sound, and space in meditation

   To exploit the resources present on site to its maximum potential, the site being rich in
      flora and fauna.

   To design spaces and zones which connect man and nature, and creating an aura of peace
      and tranquility to help in meditating.

NEED AND VALIDITY OF THE PROJECT

Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation have
proposed a  biodiversity park and the iconic
meditation Centre will be a place for city dwellers to
escape the humdrum of urban life and sit with their
families amidst nature,

Source - Times of India, News Article

METHODOLOGY

Primary Literature Study

Physics of elements

Air, Water, earth, sound, and
space, their integration with

human mind.

Psycology of mind

The science and spirtuality
           of meditation.

Secondary Study

Architectual Works

In relation to the physics of
elements and their effects on

psycology of mind.

Internet Studies

Analysis of site                                 Case studies

Topography, surrounding,                   Live case studies of

etc                                      meditation centres

Analysis

Relevant studies of

different meditation centres
        all over the India,

considering different
cultures and diversity.

literature and case studies
and driving the inference
and conclusions from each

study.

Formulation of Spaces and
              the areas

Design concept

Ultimate Design Proposal

Formulation of Design

Guidelines.

SITE ANALYSIS

Site Location - The site is located in the city of Ahemdabad, Gujrat on the riverfront between Ambedkar Bridge and Vasna barrage.

The Site

Barren land with a combination of dense and scattered vegetation

Sabarmati riverfront and Vasna Reservoir

Cleared out Barren land with loamy soil type

Approach Road from the city and pedestrian walkway along Sabarmati Riverfront

Nearby Buildings

Site Surroundings-

Sabarmati River                                                                                      Vasana Barrage

Climate

Hot and dry climate

Mean average temperature is 28.3°C with mean maximum temperature of 34.8°C and mean minimum of 22.0°C.

Average relative humidity recorded was 34.5% with mean maximum humidity of 42.0% and mean minimum of 22.2%.

The prevailing wind is from ENE.

Site Area - 24.3 Acres

Nearby to the site are housing, green land and Vasana barrage.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The scope of the project is to work out different meditation spaces, recreational spaces, including restaurants, food courts, etc., library to impart spiritual knowledge to the people, and a short stay habitat for visitors wishing to experience the space for longer span of time along with the
necessary support spaces.

As per the proposal guidelines for a Meditation Centre and biodiversity park. The scope of the project will be limited to the meditation park giving less emphasis on the Biodiversity Park with the approach of minimal intervention and maximum utilization of the resources.

BROAD REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECTS

Meditation Zones

Residential Cottages
Library

Support space

Recreational facilities