When the State Government of Odisha first commissioned architectural firm Studio Lotus to construct the Krushi Bhawan, the intended purpose was for the complex to purely act as an administrative space for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment.
Studio Lotus proposed for the project to be expanded beyond that, opting to dedicate a majority of the government facility to be shared as a public space, bridging the gap between civil servant and the citizen.
(Photo Courtesy: Andre Fanthome/Studio Lotus)
Located in Bhubaneshwar, the 1,30,000 sqft project comprises a ground floor that accommodates a learning centre, library, auditorium, garden and public plaza for exhibitions, workshops and weekly markets called ‘haats’, leaving the upper floors to be specifically occupied by offices. The rooftop is occupied by a demonstration of urban farming techniques, open to public experience and discussion.
Krushi Bhawan imbues a beautiful regional narrative of local craftsmanship through its handcrafted furniture, stone carvings bred from agricultural folklores and screens, and metal installations depicting local mythologies to create a strong contextual identity.
(Photo Courtesy: Andre Fanthome/Studio Lotus)
The design team worked closely with local masons and craftsmen to achieve the intricate details that align every surface of the facility, with innate patterns that reflects the rich culture of Orissa’s, currently known as Odisha, using the most sustainable form of energy possible; human energy. The traditional cast metal craft of ‘dhokra’ was also adopted to create light fixtures that can be found adorning the ground floor columns, and the metal screens that line the building corridors.
Taking into consideration Bhubaneshwar’s humid climate, the facade consists of a brick-louvered screen that acts as a solar shading device designed as a passive-cooled structure, creating a thermal mass that works as a night-purging ventilation system, storing cold air in the walls that dissipates during the day, reducing 40% of heat gain in the building. Due to this outstanding method, only 20-25% of the building needed to be air-conditioned.
Every corner celebrates a narrative of traditional Odisha craft depicting agricultural folklore and mythological stories making Krushi Bhawan a prime example of how the government can serve as an inclusive patron of regional crafts at an unparalleled architectural scale.