Architects: The Purple Ink Studio
Area: 1160 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Suryan//Dang
Structural Consultants: Ace Technocrats Pvt. Ltd.
Civil Contractors: Blueladder Ventures
Furniture: Beruru, Chesters
Principal: Akshay Heranjal, Nishita Bhatia
Principal Landscape Architect: Aditi Pai
Project Team: Arpita Pai, Jinan Fuloonah, Rajvi Shah, Anareen Reynolds, Aziz Rajani, Bansaree Mody, Jaikumar V, Sujith Kamath
Director Projects: Khilesh Surana
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Mlhs), Mahe Manipal: Prof. (Dr) Madhu Veeraraghavan
Head, Centre for Sustainability: Ishwar Haritas
City: Manipal
Country: India

The TAPMI Centre for Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness by The Purple Ink Studio redefines academic spaces as inclusive hubs for Manipal’s transient student population. Situated on a 40-acre hilltop campus in southern India, the 5,000 sqft center integrates with its natural surroundings, overlooking forested canopies and valleys. Beyond classrooms, administration, workshops, and a cafeteria, the design creates vibrant spaces that remain active beyond academic hours. The terrace, inspired by bamboo “chhatris” from Indian ghatscapes, provides a sheltered area for community engagement, while the amphitheater “Angala” serves as a porous hub connecting the terrain and road. The structure blurs boundaries between land and building, featuring bridges, ramps, and open spaces accessible to all, with no rigid entry points. Sustainability is emphasized through raw materials and traditional crafts, preserving cultural heritage while connecting past and present. The center functions as a democratic and non-linear campus model, blending academic and community spaces to create a sustainable, future-ready environment.

Center for inclusive growth & competitiveness for tapmi / the purple ink studio

Manipal, a modern town located along the southern coast of India, began its development in 1953 under the guidance of Dr. T.M.A Pai, who established its foundation as an educational hub. At that time, the town had a population of approximately 2,000 to 5,000 people. Today, Manipal is home to an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 students, who make up nearly 50-60% of the city’s population. However, the rapid expansion of infrastructure has resulted in a rigid urban fabric that lacks adequate social spaces for its transient young population. The TAPMI Centre for Sustainability aims to address this imbalance by reimagining academic spaces as dynamic and inclusive environments.

The Centre for Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness is situated within the 40-acre residential campus of TAPMI, located on a hillock that overlooks a scenic valley with views of forested green canopies. Spanning a modest land parcel of 5,000 sqft, the center occupies a significant position on the campus, offering a dynamic relationship between its immediate surroundings and the broader environment. Encircled by a road that originates within the campus and winds down along the contours of the terrain, the site is strategically positioned, surrounded by a mix of open spaces and academic blocks that create a visually engaging context.

The client’s brief for the project was deeply aligned with the institution’s core values, focusing on the creation of academic spaces that foster collaboration and meaningful interaction. The program, which included classrooms, administrative offices, workshops, and a small cafeteria, could be efficiently accommodated across a ground floor and an upper level. However, this prompted a critical question: could the project extend beyond merely meeting spatial requirements and redefine the concept of academic spaces for a town like Manipal? The design sought to reinterpret the conventional academic block, creating spaces that transcend their primary purpose and function as vibrant community hubs even beyond academic hours.

The design strategy for the TAPMI Centre for Inclusive Growth & Competitiveness redefines its role within the campus, the community, and the city. This vision is anchored in three core ideas, starting with the concept of the building as a social and communal space. Rather than expanding the program vertically or horizontally, the design focuses on the terrace, an element traditionally underutilized in this region due to heavy rainfall. A covered layer was introduced to make the terrace adaptable, enabling it to host community engagements and fostering coexistence between learning and communal activities. The terrace is integrated into the land, stepping down to create a seamless connection between people, the landscape, and the building. At the heart of the design is “Angala,” an open amphitheater that serves as a hub for various activities and nearly merges with the adjacent road, enhancing its accessibility and interaction with the surrounding environment.

With Angala functioning as a porous hub for connectivity, covering the terrace was essential to address the region’s climatic conditions. The design drew inspiration from the bamboo “Chhatris” commonly found in the ghatscapes of Varanasi, India. These traditional sunshades not only provide shelter but also serve as architectural elements symbolizing cultural continuity for local artisans, marking the starting point for commercial, religious, and recreational activities. The project involved collaboration with skilled craftsmen to connect the craft to its historical roots while also empowering future generations. The network of parasols was carefully arranged across the terrace, intersecting at strategic points to form a cohesive and functional space that enhances the structure’s utility and aesthetic.

The building is designed to blur the rigid boundaries between the land and the built form, creating a seamless integration with its surroundings. It extends outward, expanding its functionality into community spaces and formal areas for events and gatherings, while also serving as a thoroughfare that connects the terrain at various levels. Through the use of bridges, ramps, and structures that reach into the landscape, the design ensures the space is accessible to everyone.

The TAPMI Centre serves as a vibrant node for the broader community, bridging academic and communal spaces. The building is intentionally designed without a defined entry or main door, promoting openness and accessibility. Even beyond academic hours, the spaces remain active, with students using them for various activities, making it a hub of continuous engagement. By integrating the concept of landscape with shared resources, the project reflects a vision of sustainability that is both innovative and deeply rooted in its contextual surroundings.

The project seamlessly integrates structure, architecture, and interiors into a unified narrative. The interiors, though layered, emphasize rawness and tactility through carefully chosen materials. By employing methods and materials that bridge the past with the present, the design ensures the celebration and preservation of the region’s craft traditions. Offering a fresh perspective on sustainability, the project goes beyond ecological concerns to embrace cultural continuity, creating a space that is accessible and open to all.

The TAPMI Sustainability Centre represents a vision for the future of academic campuses as democratic, non-linear, and porous spaces. It serves as a transformative model capable of adapting to the evolving demands of modern learning while remaining deeply connected to cultural roots and empowering the present to be prepared for the future.