LIVE architecture: charkha

‘charkha’ by LIVE architecture in mumbai, india all images courtesy LIVE architecture

indian practice LIVE architecture (nuru karim) has sent us images of ‘charkha’, an 11-meter tall outdoor installation in cross maidan, mumbai, india. the winning entry in a monument design competition, the project draws from the ‘spinning wheel’ symbol promoted by mahatma gandhi to illustrate contemporary india’s spectrum of social and cultural dimensions.

site

composed of a series of triangular frames, the sculptural piece is a spatially dynamic structure that seemingly shifts in form depending on the viewer’s vantage point. three curving columns serve as the framework’s backbone, allowing the installation to cantilever in one direction before returning to the 9m x 9m base. each of the triangular units are individually unique, representing the notion of ‘unity in diversity’ as well as the nation’s richness of multi cultures.

exterior view

developed using a digital applet, the spiralling gesture of a spinning wheel was explored with multiple parameters in play: diameter, density, speed, and geometries. once a self-sustaining structure was defined, the sculpture was prefabricated in six separate pieces before being assembled on site. while largely an abstract interpretation, the design represents the ideology of the spinning wheel and india’s sustainable progress through its visual motion and construction.