The Arch Diaries

  ‘Blades of Glory’ – Cricket Museum Cricket is an extraordinary sport. Apart from being a sport, cricket is a celebration. It is an emotion that binds the whole nation together. Cricket was invented in England during the 17 th century. Today, a lot of countries play this sport but there is no denying that nobody worships cricket like the Indians do. Cricket unites people of all ages, gender, color, and nations. Cricket doesn’t discriminate and maybe that’s why it’s loved by one and all. Whether it’s ODI, Test, IPL, or gully cricket, it is always thrilling to watch cricket. India has a very rich history when it comes to cricket. Some of the best cricketers in the world are treasures from India. A museum has been built in Pune, India to celebrate this enchanting sport. The ‘Blades of Glory’ cricket museum was founded in 2012 by Rohan Pate, a former Indian cricketer. The museum was inaugurated by the legend Sachin Tendulkar himself. The museum stands as the world’s largest cricket...

Torre Velasca Milan is famous for a lot of things like cathedrals, castles, art, history, football, and fashion. One such spectacular beauty rose in the center of Milan during the 1950s. Post-war, when the country enjoyed a period of extraordinary economic development. When architecture was evolving into modernism, a Torre Velasca was born Torre Velasca is one of the most iconic buildings located in the heart of Milan, Italy. It is a well-known skyscraper built from 1956 to 1958 by the prestigious architectural studio BBPR. The tower is a part of the first few modern structures built in Milan and a great example of Brutalist architecture. BBPR made sure to include modern characteristics in the structure while preserving the historic and cultural importance of Milan structures.   The tower is almost 100 meters tall and consists of 27 floors. The tower has an interesting mushroom-like shape. It was planned to stand out in the Milan skyline. The extruding projection is unlike any...

Upcoming Architecture “As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for the future which is essentially unknown”   -Norman Foster Architecture has always strived to perform for timelessness. The evolution of architecture goes hand in hand with the evolution of our species. The journey from nomads in caves to established residents in sky-high apartments has been prolonged and inventive. We are going to need architecture as long as humans exist on this planet or any other for that matter. While we think about the future of humans, it is obvious to question the future of architecture.  Future of Architecture With increasing population, decreasing land, global warming, increased pollution, higher standards of living, and a falling economy, architecture has become more challenging than ever before. It is presumed that the future should bring solutions to all these problems. With given advancements in technology and innovations of n...

  Goan Beauty Introduction: Goa is a tiny state in India. It has always been a tourist attraction and famous for it's beaches, cheap booze and tasty seafood. Recently, I've had the fortunate opportunity to visit Goa. This is a brief on architecture of goan houses. Here, when I say goan houses, I mean specifically the traditional goan houses.  The vibe of Goa starts with the houses. Description:  The houses there are mostly bungalows with independent verandahs. They are inspired by Portuguese houses because of the Indo-Portuguese era. The houses have such intricate detailing when it comes to design. Such elaborate ornamentation and attention to small things like window panes and door frames. The sloping roof with Mangalore tiles has become an advantageous theme. The best part about the houses is their colors. They have used such vibrant colors and the house looks like a magnificent piece of heaven just existing here on planet earth. If you use such colors in Pune for sure ...

 Town on Wheels Introduction :  This entire post is based on the concept of "ROADTOWN" by Edgar Chambless. Study the image above for better understanding. Starting off very easy, Roadtown is an attempt to mix transportation with housing, simply put, apartment housing on top of underground train system that stretches linearly across the countryside. Chambless had proposed this in the 1900s and wow because it is very futuristic with respect to that period of time. Need: Our system includes three aspects - factories and farms that is the place of production, houses and cities that is the place of consumption, and lastly transportation that connects both these places. These are planned by different men and made with different mindsets and thus doesn't work so efficiently together. It is not an homogenous system made to fit with each other but different heterogenous systems made to work together. The author tries to make a picture of a society if the whole system was made by o...

  What is Less ? Introduction: Less means a small quantity, that we all know but what actually is less when it comes to architecture.  Is less more? Is less bore? Is less better or worse? For people thinking I have hurt my head and not making any sense. These questions are derived from quotes of some famous scholars. Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe said "Less is More", Robert Venturi said "Less is bore", Dieter Rams said "Less but better" and R Buckminster Fuller said "Doing more with less". The reason I care is because these quotes are been used in our class almost every day and it's high time for us to understand what it means. So, let's get to the bottom of it.  Less is More: Why would Van Der Rohe say less is more. It's like saying even is odd. Less is literally the opposite of more. In an era where people kept wanting for more. Rohe meant Less is enough. This is a minimalistic concept, a simpler and subtle approach. It includes less orn...

Compact Apartment Studio What is a Compact Apartment Studio: As the name suggests it is a very compact unit i.e. very tiny and is used as a working studio as well as a residential apartment. You work and live in the same place. Which would've been normal because some do that on regular basis but it's not, as this is not a normal flat, it's a compact flat. In very simple words, it's a small space designed to accommodate every day to day activity of the residents living there.   They are not so small that you might feel claustrophobic. They are around 23 sq.m. to 65 sq.m. in area. They are usually open floor plans meaning no internal walls. The spaces are divided by curtains, sliding doors or screens. They consists of spaces like living area, working area, kitchen area, toilet block and you could fit in much more spaces if you want/can. They are not the same as 1bhk flats because in 1bhk, you have different rooms for living room, kitchen and bedroom, whereas in compact ap...