Rahul Mehrotra, an urbanist and educator, is the founder principal of RMA Architects and has designed diverse projects in India that address urban design, architecture, and conservation. His philosophy views architecture as a manifestation of societal aspirations and emphasizes the removal of barriers between communities. Notable projects include the Visitor Centre at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, which features a dynamic stainless steel roof and integrates various functions while respecting the surrounding heritage.

1. A R C H I T E C T S A N D T H E I R WO R K S
HISTORY OF
ARCHITECTURE

2. • RAHUL MEHROTRA
• BORN :1959)
• urbanist and educator who is the
Founder Principal of RMA Architects
and is Professor of Urban Design and
Planning at the Department of
Urban Planning and Design at
Harvard University’s Graduate
School of Design.
• He studied at the School of
Architecture, Ahmedabad
graduated with a Master’s Degree
in Urban Design with distinction from
the Graduate School of Design at
Harvard (1987).
• He was the Executive Director
(1994–2004) of the Urban Design
Research Institute (UDRI)
"Architecture is not the sole
means by which the city defines
and represents itself."

3. • Has designed projects that range from recycling
urban land and master planning in Mumbai to
the design of art spaces,boutiques, weekend
houses,factories, social institutes and office
buildings across India - thereby engaging
diverse issues, multiple constituencies and
varying scales: from interiordesign and
architecture to urban design,conservation and
planning
• PHILOSOPHY
• 'Architecture is the physical manifestation of a
society's aspirations in the broader sense.‘
• He believes that architecture is potent enough
to be a deadly tool that creates boundaries, or
thresholds between communities. His
designs.therefore attempt to visually eliminate
the threshold.

4. • Hathigaon (Jaipur, Rajasthan)
• KMC Corporate Office (Hyderabad)
• Visitor Centre At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu
Sangrahalaya (Mumbai)
• House In A Tea Garden (Conoor)
• Taj Mahal Visitor Centre (with Taj Mahal Conservation
Collaborative) (Agra)
• Hewlett-Packard Software Campus (Bengaluru)
• LMW Corporate Headquarters (Coimbatore)
• Restoration Of The Chowmahalla Palace Complex
(Hyderabad)
• Campus For Magic Bus (Panvel)
• Extension To The Prince Of Wales Museum (Mumbai)
• Project 88 (Mumbai)
• Maskara Gallery (Mumbai)
CAMPUS FOR MAGIC
BUS

5. R M A A R C H I T E C T S
VISITOR CENTRE AT THE PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM

6. • Located next to a grade I heritage
structure, this building's stainless
steel-clad elliptical roof supported
by columns secured with a pinjoint
base.
• The lightweight canopy extends to
form a wrap around veranda. the
interior offers a 200 seat auditorium
as well as filling programmatic
functions such as ticketing.luggage
storage, museum shop and
restrooms.
• Reflective surfaces of stainless steel
cladding make for a dynamic
canvas with reflections and colors
from kinetic human streams that
pass by the building

7. FLOOR PLAN
A Visitor Centre located at the entrance of the Prince of Wales Museum, a Grade
I heritage structure in Mumbai. The contemporary structure expands upon the
footprint of a previously existing multipurpose hall, and is a part of an expansion plan
for this prestigious urban landmark. The centre fulfills various programmatic functions,
ranging from the integration of baggage collection and storage, to ticketing and
security, as well as a museum shop, two hundred seat auditorium, and rest rooms

8. A LIGHTWEIGHT, STAINLESS STEEL CLAD ELLIPTICAL ROOF CREATES A COVERED VERANDAH FOR
CIRCULATION, INTEGRATING DISPARATE VISITOR PROGRAMS INTO A CONSOLIDATED AND MODEST,
YET CONTEMPORARY FORM. GLASS AND METAL SURFACES EXIST AS A VISUAL COUNTERPOINT TO
STOUT BASALT STONE OF LOCAL HERITAGE STRUCTURES. REFLECTIVE MATERIAL PLANES CREATE A
PARADOXICAL VISUAL POETRY IN WHICH ARCHAIC FORMS OF THE ADJACENT MUSEUM ARE RECAST
AND DISTORTED IN A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
ELEVATION

9. Thin steel columns support a curving roof that
overhangs the exterior walls of the centre to
shelter a surrounding terrace.
Existing trees grow through holes in this roof,which
also shelters a separate circular baggage kiosk.
Integration of natural textures with modern means
and materials further expands the defining narrative
of the center, that of a culturally meaningful interve-
ntion within a monumental historic context.

10. SIJO MONACHAN
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