project # 7

TITLE: NEWMAN HALL
ARCHITECT: HASMUKH C. PATEL
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD

Newman Hall is an institution that houses the Ahmedabad Jesuit School Society. The building is designed by Architect Hasmukh C. Patel and it represents his architectural philosophy very accurately. Architect Hasmukh C. Patel is a well-known figure in the field of contemporary Indian architecture. His practice started in 1960 with three people is now a design corporate functioning with 100 people, lead by his son Bimal Patel (HCPDPM). I have already published Bimal Patel’s Ahmedabad Management Association in my earlier post. Newman Hall houses an office, teaching facilities, accommodation facilities and a church.

entrance porch
bridge between two blocks
office block

church

Newman hall has an ‘H’ shape configuration in plan, with two internal courtyards. Two building blocks run east-west with corridors connecting them on every floor. The building is entered from south side, perpendicular to this ‘H’ shaped plan, thus creating an axis which gets reinforced by the bridge-like corridors that connect the two blocks. The office block occupies the east courtyard while the church is placed on the west side at the extreme end, creating another axis that is perpendicular to the entrance. The staircase is also placed in the courtyard on this axis almost like a sculptural element. The building language and the material palette of this complex has been kept to very simple and basic with 9” thk exposed brick walls, exposed RCC, mosaic tiles for floor and steel for doors-windows.