Firm Hall Banquet and Community Centre by Vigneswar Vasulingam Sivanesan Receives the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

The Work

Project

Firm Hall Banquet and Community Centre

Function

Banquet and Community Centre

Category

Architecture, Building and Structure Design

Discipline

Spatial Design

Industry

Architecture

Colors

Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray and Dark Olive Green

Images

5

Client

Architecture plus Value

The Recognition

Laureate

Vigneswar Vasulingam Sivanesan

Country

India

Recognition

Silver A' Design Award

Edition

2019 - 2020

Design ID

#100253

Credits

Team

Vigneswar V S and Swathi Kunimbedu

Image Credits

Photographer Prithvi M Samy

Design Details

Unique Properties

Firm Hall is an Iconic Community Project created on a Shoe-String Budget. Through sensitive Adaptive Re-use an existing residential bungalow, at a busy intersection, was converted into a state-of-the-art Event Venue. The Project not only acts as a revenue source for the developer but also serves the local neighbourhood as a Community Centre. It is environmentally sustainable and cost-effective. An innovative Facade system and Landscape features were developed to add value to the Project.

Inspiration

Firm Hall is a successful prototype to unlock the hidden commercial & community potential in the Indian Urban Context. Third-world cities like Chennai lack good Community Centres. Private developers are concerned more on Commercial aspects. As Architects we knew that the key is to bring both these contradictory forces into one successful project. Through sensitive design and clever planning, Firm Hall has become a commercially successful community centre.

Research

The main aim of the Design was to provide a premium and plush environment for the event spaces. A detailed research was done on the existing event spaces in the city and on how to make this a profitable commercial venture. Being an Adaptive Re-Use project the building needed to be retained to its best possible manner and converted into an event venue. This provided additional challenges to the design.

Challenge

The Property has become a land-mark in Chennai. It has a 90% occupancy rate since opening and has turned into a commercially profitable venture. Space utilisation and service strategy has ensured a smooth functioning for multiple events. The Space caters to multitude of aspirations hosting a range of events ranging from birth-day parties to weddings and convocation ceremonies. Firm Hall is a case-study on how sensitive design and programming can add a lot of value to the Indian urban fabric.

Realization and Technology

Adaptive Re-Use_The external periphery of the Structure was kept intact. The Existing internal load bearing walls were analysed and the smaller spaces were amalgamated into a single large event space in each floor. Separate Service areas and a service entry were provided to the project to ensure smooth servicing. A metal staircase was introduced in the rear service area to provide vertical service access and also act as a secondary fire-exit.

Operation and Interaction

The event spaces opened out into the front garden and lobby spaces were designed as break-out spaces and informal gathering areas The Ground floor was converted into a Family hall, First floor hall with Tele-Conferencing facilities and the Terrace was converted into a semi-open pavilion with a landscaped terrace garden. The Building was designed such that each floor could be used as a separate event space for three different events or could be used in a combined manner to host a larger event.

Project Duration and Location

Firm Hall was started in December 2018 and completed in April 2019. It is located on a busy commercial through-fare in Anna-Nagar, which is one of the premium residential areas in the city of Chennai.

Specifications

A strong language was created by designing two different masses, a high glossy white mass with intricate Jali or Screen patterns was kept in the first floor above a solid textured brown mass on the ground floor. CNC cut patterns were made on a 3 mm aluminium sheets with back lighting to emphasise the patterns during night. A series of up-throw lights make the white mass look floating. The terrace was converted into a semi-open party area with a light metal roof and a landscaped terrace.

Keywords

Event space, White, Facade, Community centre, Banquet Hall, Chennai, Anna Nagar