Building with the Site

The existing landscape was fundamental to the design. SMVIT's established green campus formed the setting for the new library, and the proposal sought to carry this landscape character through the development rather than replace it. 

The building responds to the natural change in level across the site. Instead of flattening the terrain, the level difference is used to create a series of terraces and gathering spaces beneath and around the building. The library volume sits above this active ground plane, allowing the landscape and pedestrian movement to continue through the site. 

At the arrival, an existing grand rain tree becomes an important focal point. A circular ramp wraps around the tree, turning something already present on the site into a memorable part of the journey through the building. Elsewhere, terraced seating uses the natural change in level to create informal places for students to meet, sit and gather. 

A linear deck acts as a connecting element between the existing campus and the green landscape, reinforcing the idea that the library is part building and part extension of the campus itself. 

Crafting Distinct Volumes and Façades

The building is expressed as a long, elevated volume floating above the landscape. Its strong horizontal form gives the library a clear identity within the campus while allowing the spaces below to remain open, active and connected.

The massing develops through a series of overlapping and stacked floor plates, creating different spatial conditions for reading, collaboration and gathering. The changing levels are expressed externally, giving the building depth rather than treating the façade as a single continuous surface.

A modular precast façade system establishes a consistent rhythm across the building, with solid and translucent areas responding to the different functions within. Larger graphic surfaces become part of the identity of the library, allowing words associated with learning, books, sharing and collaboration to become part of the architecture itself.

The result is deliberately contemporary, creating a recognisable new presence for SMVIT while remaining connected to the landscape and existing campus around it.

Setting a High Sustainability Standard through Materiality

The environmental approach begins with the site itself. Rather than viewing the existing landscape as empty land for development, the design works around the established green character of the campus and incorporates existing trees into the experience of the building.

The building's form and envelope are developed as part of this response. The modular precast façade provides a repeatable and rational construction system, while the balance between solid and translucent surfaces allows the envelope to respond differently to internal uses. Covered external areas extend the usable learning environment beyond the enclosed building and provide sheltered spaces for students throughout the campus. The proposal also incorporates an ETFE covered area as part of the main pedestrian thoroughfare. 

At roof level, clerestories introduce daylight into the building, while solar panels form part of the environmental strategy. Outdoor reading areas and terraces extend usable space onto the roof and create further opportunities for students to engage with the surrounding landscape. 

Together, landscape preservation, adaptable planning, modular construction, daylight and solar energy contribute to a building designed for long term use and change.

Location: Bengaluru, India

Project Status: Concept Design - Completed

Brief & Vision

Located within the Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology campus in Bengaluru, the proposed Administrative cum Library building was conceived as more than a conventional academic library. The ambition was to create a new social and learning destination for the campus, bringing together students from different disciplines within a shared environment for study, interaction and exchange. 

As access to information continues to evolve, the role of the library is also changing. The design responds by moving beyond the traditional model of book storage and individual study to create a more adaptable environment for learning, collaboration, events and informal interaction. The library becomes a place to connect, collaborate and inspire. 

Set against the established landscape of the campus, the building was envisioned as a beacon of change, reflecting the aspirations of SMVIT while creating a new focal point for university life. 

Conceptual Approach

The concept begins with the idea of extending learning beyond the walls of the library.

Rather than treating the building as an isolated object, the design creates a sequence of interconnected spaces across the site. An arrival plaza, the existing grand tree, a collaboration terrace, covered outdoor areas, coworking spaces and the library itself come together as part of a larger learning environment. The programme extends further to accommodate exhibitions, outdoor classes, informal seating, events and other activities that encourage students to use the precinct throughout the day. 

Internally, overlapping and stacked floors create visual connections between different levels and encourage interaction between students. Reading areas, book displays, multipurpose spaces and meeting rooms are complemented by terraces, outdoor seating and a rooftop viewing deck, allowing learning to take place in different settings rather than within a single prescribed environment.