A paper plane cinched between two fingers. The droopy brim of a floppy straw hat. When you come across a roof that slopes more dramatically than a roller coaster, you’re bound to sit up and take notice. And of course, be tempted to draw your own parallels! This architectural entity in question sits atop a 9,000 sq ft pavilion in Ahmedabad, situated in the garden of a family’s primary residence. “When the homeowners acquired an additional parcel of land behind their house, they wished to build a swimming pool alongside a lounge and a gym in the space,” recounts Principal Architect Jwalant Mahadevwala of andblack studio. Their do’s and don’ts were simple: no architectural structure that overshadows the primary home, or obstructs their view of the sweeping greens. Constructing a pavilion, rather than a brick-and-mortar building, became the preferred choice. The emanating result is a structure constructed entirely of glass — save for the metal and ferrocement roof with a dip so sharp, it dramatically swoops right down to the ground. “This gesture reduces the perceived mass of the structure while introducing a dynamic architectural form,” explains Jwalant.
Save for the roof, the remainder of the structure skilfully camouflages against the surroundings. The ceiling is supported by slender columns placed outside the glass box, creating an expansive, uninterrupted volume indoors. The goal? A space that “feels comfortable and intimate when used by a small group, yet easily accommodates larger numbers without losing its sense of openness,” affirms Jwalant. A tightly restrained material and colour palette of grey marble, granite and stainless steel makes the pavilion feel almost permeable, occupying the undefined grey space that exists between a landscape and an architectural structure. The roof assumes the role of both an identifying anchor and a statement, resembling the wings of a bird ready to flap away any minute — or a slope diagram right out of a physics experiment. Or maybe a heart rate spike in an ECG recording? Or even an inverted hill? The possibilities (and parallels) remain endless!
“When the homeowners acquired an additional parcel of land behind their house, they wished to build a swimming pool alongside a lounge and a gym in the space”
