Sameep Padora & Associates creates a flowing, organic art center in southern India

Mumbai-based Sameep Padora & Associates (sP+a) has completed Hampi Art Labs in Toranagallu, a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. This artist residency and exhibition space is inspired by the surrounding landscape and the Hampi UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka. In a place where art, heritage, and nature coalesce, Hampi Art Labs derives its flowing, organic form from the region’s Tungabhadra River.

The site on which Hampi Art Labs is located was completely barren, an area without vegetation or any marked features. “We were really looking for a reference point to develop the project from,” says Sameep Padora. “Given the fact we were in the proximity of the incredible ruins of Hampi, we thought this might be a great point from which to start. Moreover, the Tungabhadra River, its boulders, and the riverine landscape became a reference for the project — we literally started imagining the idea of people flowing though our site with the river as a metaphor.” sP+a therefore conceived the project’s architecture like a riverine landscape.

Hampi Art Labs was commissioned by the JSW Foundation (a social development arm of the JSW Group — an Indian multinational conglomerate). The project’s steel and cement is from the nearby JSW Vijayangar Works. A terracotta-colored plaster covers its concrete shell, grounding the various buildings within the landscape. On the gallery’s interior, white curving walls and concrete flooring provide a contemporary backdrop for artworks — courtyards bring natural light into these spaces. Other materials include regional stones and clay.

Hampi Art Labs is made up of a sweeping art gallery, studios/workshops (including ceramics, printmaking, and 3D printing) and a cafe on the southern end of its site; at the northern end is an artist residency, where clean and spacious rooms include kitchenettes. Landscaped mounds and pathways sit in-between. “The site and its surrounding environment strive to be an inspiration to visitors and artists,” says sP+a. Program initiatives will seek to engage the local community and schools alongside international visitors. Buildings are designed with accessible green roofs; the landscape design includes pebbled paths and regional plants at both ground level and on stepped (rice-style) terraces.