Studio ALT: at the intersection of material and spatial dualities

Set within an organic farm in Kathwada – a suburb of Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat – the Studio ALT design gallery brings together two creative practices, one specializing in hand-painted ceramics and the other in bespoke speakers design, within a single architectural framework.

The 740 m² project, designed by Rushnaiwala Architects, accommodates commercial, institutional, and residential functions within a spatial system that privileges layering, adaptability, and an exposed material palette.

The building’s external mass contrasts with a lighter internal spatial condition, referencing Henri Labrouste’s Bibliothèque Nationale de France. This approach informs the use of exposed brick, concrete, and steel, which structures both the spatial and material organisation of the project. 

Studio ALT: Sequence and Spatial Order

The entry is deliberately sequenced and begins with curved steps positioned alongside an existing mango tree, establishing an indirect approach. This leads into a central hall that rises through three levels and functions as the primary gallery space. The hall organises the programme without hierarchical separation, allowing multiple uses to coexist within the same volume.

Gallery space, mezzanine studios, and a library overlook the volume through narrow bridges, generating moments of intimacy within the larger whole. The ceramics are displayed in recessed alcoves alongside integrated speaker installations, allowing the objects of the two practices to inhabit the architecture rather than merely occupy it.

Structure as Exhibit

While the plan follows a symmetrical layout, sectional variations introduce changes in volume, level, and light through the use of skylights. By openly expressing these systems, the architecture makes its constructive logic a spatial experience in itself, where the structure is simultaneously exhibited and becomes an exhibit.

The building incorporates two distinct structural systems: a load-bearing masonry system articulated with arched beams, and an independent steel truss spanning the central nave. The deliberate separation of the two clarifies the tectonic order while allowing each to assert a distinct identity. 

Climate and Material Intelligence

The building’s own material and tectonic logic address environmental performances as well. A narrow slit along the pitched roof allows hot air to escape, enabling passive cooling in a region that endures intense summer heat. Double slabs and jack-arch construction reduce heat transfer to the lower levels, while the thermal mass of exposed brick walls maintains cooler interior temperatures through the day.

The material palette is employed not as a simple aesthetic citation of Brutalism but as a direct response to the place. The materials, in fact, are chosen to age with the landscape, absorb the climate, and register the passage of time.

>>> Discover also Fluted Volume, the jewelry showroom in Vijayawada designed by Urban Form + Objects