The tamboos that nomadic tribes erect and the pandals that Indians build for various events, celebrations and festivities, inspired German artist and designer Markus Heinsdorff to innovate and turn them into gem like pavilions.
Flexible, dismountable, yet sturdy and made from traditional desi fabric, these have travelled across the country for the Indo-German Urban Melas in various cities as part of the event series ‘Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities’.
“The focus of my creations is working with urban spaces. The unique approach lies in identifying the architectural element in nature and enhancing it. While I’ve used membranes in my work before, this is the first time that Indian fabric is a prominent feature in the construction,” says the designer, who had used bamboo when designing a German-Chinese House for the Expo Shanghai 2010.
“The objective of my design for these pavilions has been to retain the traditional aspects of Indian design and mould them into sustainable architectural solutions. Steel and membrane are the physical components of my work, while the sculptural motifs are part of the guiding principles. Technology is not limited to machines. The intricacy and rigour that go into weaving fabric, as I see it in India, is also in that sense high technology and this is part of my architectural construct as well,” he says.
The pavilions can be seen at Delhi’s Indraprastha Millennium Park from October 27 to November 4, 2012. The Urban Mela will be open from 10 am to 10 pm daily.
