The built form mediates the relationship of
different water cleaning technologies ranging from
the mechanised and scientific to the natural. These
are composed into a sanctuary which is programmed
in accordance with the daily rituals and requirements
of water in the city. The building adapts itself into the
vernacular urban fabric and becomes a seamless and
expressive addition to Varanasi’s sprawling stepped
river promenade.
Through a carefully designed sociological, political,
ecological and scientific response the project
promotes the interaction of people with infrastructure
at a local scale, offering an innovative approach in
redefining infrastructure’s role within India’s new
national identity.
Responding to the announcement that Maharaj
had been presented with this year’s Corobrik
Architectural Award, Dr. Mpho Matsipa, Maharaj’s
co-supervisor said that, Yantra, explored water
infrastructure provided water that was safe for human
consumption while respecting the rich architectural
heritage of Varanasi. “In so doing, he demonstrated
both a nuanced and layered understanding of
sustainability, technological and social innovation
which encompasses daily spatial practices on the
Ganges River, larger scale developmental processes
in India, heritage in the built environment and
everyday spatial practices as well as the complexities
of religious plurality in India. Additionally, this thesis
Student Awards
is rigorously researched, using both primary and
secondary sources, with confidence and creativity.”
She said that Maharaj’s attention to questions of
access for the majority populations was both poetic
and attentive to questions of social and spatial justice.
“The mastering of change of scale is exceptionally
convincing: Yantra works as political argument down
to the design of bricks in 1:1. He uses the language
of tectonics as a tool to make the city into a space
for a society of the collective, a rare yet highly
needed ambition within our profession,” added cosupervisor, Kirsten Doermann.
Dr Matsipa concluded: “I believe that Vedhant
demonstrates a lot of passion for thinking about the
spatial, technological and ambient possibilities of
infrastructure as culturally informed architecture. I
would advise him to continue working and thinking
across different scales and locations. I believe that
he could become a leader in the field - specifically
in terms of thinking about water architecture from
the Global South.”
JUDGES
Phill Mashabane
Mashabane Rose
Architects, JHB
Karuni Naidoo,
CNN Architects
Durban
Andre Eksteen,
Earthworld Architects
Pretoria
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