Terracotta-coloured render made from local soil covers the curving, concrete structure of Hampi Art Labs, an arts centre in Karnataka by architecture studio Sameep Padora & Associates.
Hampi Art Labs is designed by Sameep Padora & Associates to appear as though it was "born from its surroundings" near the village of Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India known for its historic Hindu temples.
To achieve this, the studio took cues from the area's topography and history, as well as its modern condition as a more industrialised area.
Sameep Padora & Associates has created an arts space in India
Hampi Art Labs' undulating form references the nearby Tungabhadra River, while its distinctive colour was achieved using iron oxide sourced from the nearby JSW Vijayangar Works ? one of the largest steel and cement-producing facilities in India. Earth excavated from this facility was also used as concrete formwork. "The incredible riverine landscape of the Tungabhadra river and her gentle sculpting of the surrounding hills was the inspiration for Hampi Art Labs," studio founder Sameep Padora told Dezeen.
"With the JSW industry plant nearby, we had access to steel and cement for the building, and we used the excavated earth from the site itself to make formwork for the casting of the building?s fluid forms," he added.
The sculptural form of the building references the nearby Tungabhadra river
Hampi Art Labs was commissioned by the JSW Founda...