Lilavati Lalbhai Library CEPT University Ahmedabad, Gujarat Higher Education Building, Indian Architecture Photos
Lilavati Lalbhai Library CEPT University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
3 June 2022
Location: CEPT University, Kasturbhai Lalbhai Campus, University Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, western India
Architect: RMA Architects / Rahul Mehrotra
View of the louvred façade:

Photos Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Dinesh Mehta (photographer)
Lilavati Lalbhai Library CEPT University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
The library acts as a living case study of passive climate mitigation strategies, high on the teaching agenda at CEPT University (formerly Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology).

Its materials respect those of the campus?s existing buildings, and placing three of its six storeys underground keeps it within their height datum. View of the reading carrels protruding into the subterranean courtyard:

Centrally located, it has separate and equal entrances on each side.
View of the brick and concrete building with its operable wood louvers at night:

Complete with an operating manual for students, its modulated, louvred façades can be manually adjusted to admit less light or more ventilation.

First-floor reading rooms overlook the campus.
The library offers different study areas:

Below-ground book stacks, carrels and study spaces benefit from plentiful natural lighting via the louvred façade and subterranean courtyard, as well as the natural cooling effect of...