Rangmanch: Myth and Materials in Contemporary India

In the Indian city of Solapur, PMA Madhushala has completed Rangmanch, a residence for a multigenerational family of six, including a couple, their two children, and elderly parents.

The project centers on a duality of distinct, complementary volumes, mediating between traditional Indian dwelling principles, site constraints – a 355 m² plot – and the city’s layered building history.

Rangmanch: Mythology and the Spirituality of the home

Understanding the project requires interpreting its cultural and geographical context alongside an architectural vision fundamentally different from Western perspectives. This vision gives the built environment a mythological and spiritual dimension that is inseparable from its formal and functional requirements.

The design is rooted in the principles of Vastu Shastra – the Indian science of dwelling – which seeks to harmonize a building’s energies with the laws of nature through the relationship between form, orientation, and inner balance. Every design decision reflects this vision.

The project’s name, “Rangmanch: Drama of Duality,” overlays the concept of the stage as the place where life’s experiences are played out. The architects interpret the construction process through a symbolic lens by drawing a parallel with the myth of Mount Kailash, in which the demon king Ravana tries to shake Shiva’s sacred mountain, only for the god to effortlessly restore order. Marked by unforeseen obstacles and setbacks, the construction phase also underwent its own struggles but was brought to order by remaining faithful to the original vision.

By interweaving references to colonial and post-colonial Indo-Brutalism with vernacular elements, the design reflects the site’s cultural complexity through its layered and conscious architectural identity.

Dual composition

The design is an L-shaped volume open toward the southwest, the most favorable aspect for exposure and connection to the garden. To the north and east, it abuts existing development.

The project brief’s requirement to place the bedroom in the southwest corner – following the Vastu principle that associates that direction with the earth element, stability, and protection – led to the addition of a second volume in the form of a cubic exposed-concrete block. The result is a dual composition in which the volumes express distinct yet complementary architectural languages.

The L-shaped block features local brick, circular openings, and arches, as well as vaults that introduce rhythm and softness. The cubic volume responds with straight lines, layered surfaces, and subtle offsets, culminating in a planted roof terrace. Where the two volumes meet, the geometry of the openings undergoes a subtle transition, with the arches straightening and curves becoming planes.

An unroofed interstitial zone comprising a central courtyard separates the two volumes. Here, a staircase connects the levels and distributes light through its vertical shaft, while the open southern side acts as a passive wind-catcher. Air is cooled by a water feature before circulating through the home, while upper openings release heat via a natural ventilation system that extends throughout the residence.

On the ground floor, the communal living space opens onto a stepped area used as a rangmanch, a stage for baithaks (traditional Indian musical gatherings), presented by the couple’s children, who study classical music.

The residence is an architectural "jugalbandi" – a dialogue between opposites that draws strength by coexisting. By starting from tangible constraints and a robust cultural identity, the project creates a distinct sense of place that integrates complex dimensions into a single, coherent experience.

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