NORTH EAST COMMEMORATIVE GATE- 36TH SURAJKUND CRAFT MELA
Designed by Mumbai-based atArchitecture, North East Commemorative Gate- 36th Surajkund Craft Mela, pays tribute to eight north-eastern states of Indiaas part of the Surajkund Craft Fair 2023, an annual festival in Faridabad that promotes Indian crafts and provides a platform for artisans. The site is located near the historic Surajkund Lake, commissioned in the 10th century by King Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty. Today the lake is no longer in use, but it is widely known for the Surajkund Craft Mela, which attracts more than a million visitors during its three-week duration. The architecture is a testament to the tradition of bambooconstruction, which is common in almost all of NER, and was built by skilled craftsmen from the region.
North Eastern India (officially North Eastern Region (NER)) is both a geographical and political-administrative unit of the country. It comprises eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. Ethnic diversity in the NER is high and indigenous forms of arts and crafts are widespread,front elevation – emergence of a new public realm after the fair event
ATARCHITECTURE TURNS BAMBOO LATTICE INTO VAULTED CUBIC GATE
The atArchitecture team designed a vaulted void consisting of a cube aligned with the cardinal directions. The bamboo lattice cube intersects the vault at an angle consistent with the existing road, giving the structure a dynamic form. The 12 concrete columns already on site were integrated so that eight freestanding columns represent each state’s history with illustrations and the remaining four columns become part of the bamboo frame. The details of the bamboo joinery were developed with the help of the artisans.
At the same time, many design integration decisions were made on-site during construction, with an emphasis on local collaboration and craftsmanship. At the end of the three-week fair, the gate will be integrated into the public space, becoming a permanent framework to be enjoyed by residents and pedestrians, open to all,south elevation – emergence of a new public realm after the fair event north elevation – user interaction emergence of a new public realm after the fair event space lattice – facade detail facade detail – night shot.
