New York-based studio Diana Kellogg Architects looked to symbols of femininity for its design of an oval-shaped all-girls school in India made from local sandstone.
Located in the Thar Desert in the north of India, the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School was built to educate and teach over 400 girls between the ages of five and sixteen.
Diana Kellogg Architects explained that the studio looked to symbols of femininity and the nearby sand-dunes to create a fort-like structure that would blend into and grow out of the landscape.
Top: the school has a blue mosaic floor. Above: the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School is located in the Thar Desert
"As a female architect designing for women, I looked at feminine symbols across cultures and specifically symbols of strength," Diana Kellogg told Dezeen. "I ultimately landed on this oval shape that is representative of femininity and resonated with me as the formulation of infinity," she added.
"I knew I wanted to do a building that simultaneously blended and grew out of the natural landscape, much like the Jaisalmer sandstone."
Parapets surround the elevated walkway
Built using locally sourced hand-carved sandstone, the 836-square-metre fort-like structure comprises three circular elements.
These consist of a large exterior wall that wraps around the perimeter of the school, an interior wall that encloses and surrounds the classrooms, as well as an oval courtyard.
A large paved courtyard is at the centre o...