wallmakers sculpts sinuous kulhad pavilion from disused terracotta cups in india

18,000 cups repurposed by wallmakers

Sinuous and textural, Wallmakers‘ Kulhad Pavilion stands on Miramar beach in Goa, India as a temporary structure for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. The pavilion is set along the edge of the sand and occupies a narrow, shaded strip between trees and coast beyond.

Kulhads, also known as terracotta mud cups, once defined the everyday ritual of tea at railway stations across India. Used briefly and discarded soon after, they accumulated along tracks and coastlines, leaving a quiet record of consumption. For this pavilion, more than 18,000 of these cups were gathered from local communities in Dharavi and reused as a building material with structural purpose.

images © Studio IKSHA

the vaulted structure of terracotta waste

The architects at Wallmakers form the Kulhad Pavilion through three compressive catenary vaults, each shaped to direct weight downward into the ground. Built as unreinforced masonry, the vaults rely on geometry and gravity rather than additives or frames. The earthen cups are stacked and bonded to create a porous surface that filters light and air while maintaining mass and stability.

As the structure meanders along the beach edge, it takes on multiple roles as seating, shade, and informal stage. People pause beneath the vaults to escape the sun, while animals find shelter in the same spaces. Through this simple exchange between waste material and spatial need, Wallmakers presents the Kulhad Pavilion as an example of how discarded objects can regain civic presence through careful architectural thinking.

the Kulhad Pavilion stands along Miramar beach in Goa, India

Wallmakers designs the pavilion using 18,000 reclaimed terracotta ‘kulhads’

the pavilion reuses discarded mud cups collected from Dharavi in Mumbai

the structural system comprises three compressive catenary vaults

earthen surfaces filter light and breezes along the beach edge

1/5

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: Kulhad Pavilion

architect: Wallmakers | @ar.vinudaniel

location: Goa, India

area: 1025 square feet
completion: 2025

photography: © Studio IKSHA | @studio.iksha

design team: Vinu Daniel, Preksha Shah, Jayesh Varma
structural engineer: Steelcrete
civil contractor: Aviyon Constructions