gmp wins competition for Parliament Building in India

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu's parliament building will be designed by von Gerkan, Marg und Partner. As winners of the first prize in the competition from 2007, the planning contract has already been awarded. The 160 000 square-meter-building situated in the port of Chennai is planned to be completed in 2010.

The provincial government of Tamil Nadu announced the winner of the international competition for the design of the new state parliament building at the end of February. The new building will house all institutional functions. The design was delivered by Berlin-based gmp architect Volgwin Marg and gmp-associate Hubert Nienhoff with Kristian Uthe-Spencker as project manager. According to the architects, “the design takes account of the state's cultural traditions and the urban context of the city of Chennai. The geometry of the building's structure is derived from the traditional, round chakra (mandala) motif, consisting of circles of various sizes inscribed in 36 isosceles triangles. The timeless, stable shapes - circles and triangles – are supposed to make up the geometrical structure of the design in both ground plan and elevation. With its highly visible dome, the design also echoes the structural features of Dravidian temple complexes.

The internal plan features courtyard architecture with five round interior courts that are functionally differentiated, creating public, semi-public and also secure internal areas. The spacious Citizens' Forum on the south side of the building is created by the largest circle in the mandala. It is both the opening towards the city and the entrance area, with public functional areas. The three other round courtyards in the interior of the building house the Assembly Hall, the Legislative Assembly Chamber and the Convention Hall. The state parliament rests on a battered plinth and is landscaped all round. The glass dome over the Assembly Hall marks the seat of the Tamil parliament.”