When we first visited the site one evening, invited to design a retreat center run by the Capuchin Fathers, our eyes were drawn to a distant hillock with a small temple on top. By the time we left, dusk had settled and the temple lamps began to glow, a surreal sight that stayed with us. The proposed site for the building sloped gently after a slight rise. Though the brief called for a large structure to accommodate week-long retreats for many people, we chose instead to imagine a ‘non-building.’ The structure was conceived to disappear beneath a bamboo grove planted on the terrace, appearing as a continuation of the surrounding landscape. What remains visible is not architecture but a quiet dialogue between two gods across the terrain.

Location :

Thrissur | Kerala

Client :

Gagultha Retreat Centre

Project Area :

73482 sq ft | 6826.67 sq m

Site Area :

4.8 acres | 19462.50 sq m

Year :

2011

Visualisations :

Nishad Vadakkot