<h5-red>CLIENT:<h5-red> WITHHELD I <h5-red>AREA:<h5-red> 1,22,546 SQ FT I <h5-red>STATUS:<h5-red> COMPLETED IN 2023 I <h5-red>ARCHITECTURE TEAM:<h5-red> SIDHARTHA TALWAR, AMBRISH ARORA, ANUSHA BAJPAI, AGASTYA TRIPATHI, MANISH KUMAR, VAIBHAV TOMAR, MUSKAN CHOWDHARY I <h5-red>INTERIOR TEAM:<h5-red> ASHA SAIRAM, NEELAM DAS RUSHALI MALHOTRA, SHOAIB KAMILI, SANJEEV KUMAR, MUBASHIR MERAJ, MEGHNA SHARMA I <h5-red>PHOTOGRAPHER:<h5-red> SURYAN AND DANG
The party’s ethos draws on its staunch belief in the state’s masses and their potential to drive change. This inclusivity and deep-seated regionalism lie at the heart of BJD’s core values, and are expressed in the design for its new headquarters in Bhubaneswar—a humble three-storeyed volume to preserve the building’s connection to the street and the citizens.
The distinctive facade, designed in collaboration with Siddhartha Das Studio, honours Odisha’s agricultural heritage and local traditions. <rt-red>Hand-chiselled by local stoneworkers, sculptural reliefs in laterite depict motifs inspired by farming practices, traditional handloom weaving patterns like ikat and sambalpuri, and iconic temples that dot the landscape. Dovetailing indigenous skills with contemporary influences, the design underscores the party’s rooted yet ambitious vision.<rt-red>
<rt-red>The campus' ground plane is elevated to form a plinth for public functions and community events—its direct visual connection with the street, fostering an open and transparent connection with passersby, blurring the threshold of public and private space.<rt-red> A double-height auditorium punctuates the upper floors—protruding from the monolithic exterior to mark a subtle shift in the otherwise planar built form.
The design incorporates a series of passive and active climate-responsive measures to address concerns of building performance and sustainability. A window-to-wall ratio of 60:40 reduces reliance on artificial lighting and minimises glare. The planning emphasises deep overhangs and terraces that offer shade and limit heat gain. Internal courtyards welcome diffused light, nature, and breeze, significantly increasing the occupants' thermal comfort. The material palette is a nod to the regional context, playing with a gentle contrast of terracotta tiles, exposed concrete, and local stone like Odisha grey granite and khondalite.
The design of the BJD Party Headquarters seeks to challenge the conventionally closed-off nature of government office buildings. By integrating public functions into the programme and engaging local craftspeople in the construction process, the intervention reaffirms the party's dedication to inclusivity and transparency, and advancing the well-being of the masses.
