Building Architecture

Architects at Work

Moshe Safdie, the internationally acclaimed Boston-based architect has designed the Khalsa Heritage Complex. Ashok Dhawan, an eminent architect, is his associate in India.
 
Design and layout
Being built on a 100-acre site, the Complex has presently been conceived as two functionally integrated sets of buildings. The Western complex forms the gateway for the town. It houses functions that respond directly to the needs of the people — changing exhibit galleries; a two-level research and reference library centred around a great reading room open to vistas of water gardens to house rare archival materials, books, journals as well as audio visual resources; and a 400-seat auditorium to host seminars and cultural events.
A 165-metre bridge from the Western complex provides pedestrian access to the Eastern complex, the Khalsa Heritage Museum, that comprises permanent exhibit galleries on 500 years of Sikh heritage along with museum facilities to rival any world-class museum. A series of reflecting pools create a seven-acre water body between the two complexes. Arcaded walkways and gardens on either side gently cascade towards the serene pools. Public facilities and a cafeteria are located at the base of the bridge overlooking this vista.

Components of the complex :

The building project consists of following parts :-

Complex-A :

It mainly houses reception, library, Auditorium, Temporary Exhibit Gallery in addition to Meeting rooms and Mechanical area. The library is having a covered area of 2230 sqm. and the 400 seated Auditorium is having covered area as 1980 sqm. split into three levels. The organisations who want to put up their exhibitions for short durations shall be offered space in Temporary Exhibit Gallery having a covered area of 1373 sqm. The structures for this Complex is made of concrete bearing walls and Vierendeel trusses. The founding level is 305 m and top level of this part of Building is 333.9 m. The walls ascending from the ravine level are cladded with weather-resistant sandstone.

Complex-B :

It mainly consists of Pedestrian Bridge, Cafeteria and Kitchen Block. The 165 m long end wide Pedestrian Bridge, which is connecting Complex-A and Complex-C, primarily consists of four independently tied arches (three 33m long and one 27m long).Each arch is in Reinforced Cement Concrete except the tie beams at springing level which are of Prestressed concrete. Cafeteria and Kitchen Blocks consist of Café dining room of covered area as 1424 sqm. The founding level is 305 m and top level of Café dining is 316.4 m.

Complex-C :

It mainly houses Permanent Exhibit building, Heritage Museum, Media Exhibit buildings and Entrance lobby. Permanent Exhibit and Media Exhibit building are formed by a series of sand stone-clad concrete structures, some curved and some rectangular in shape, that rise from the cliff faces becoming extensions of the sandcliffs. This geometric formed structure consists of Arcade, Receiving dock, Mechanical/Electrical room, Reception, Storage space, Workshops, labs, lecture and meeting space, book store and gift shops, offices, toilet, Exhibit Galleries, Planters and grand stairs. The covered area for the building is 17,151 sqm. The foundation level is 311.5m and the top level of highest roof is 356.15 m.

Heritage Museum with plan area as 1780 sqm. consists of a Ramp which starts from RL 321.0 m and goes up till RL 327.60m. The long span roof of the building shall be filled with water to get the reflecting effect. The structural system is RCC shear wall structures with inside ramp of Prestressed concrete. The foundation level is 308.5 m and the top of roof is 330.6 m.

Elevations  


Salient Technical Features
  • Since the project site falls in Earthquake Zone V, the structure of the project has been designed to cover all the seismic aspects which are applicable for Indian conditions.

  • Full scale mock-up samples for every important activity are first created at site with different combinations, got approved from Architect and only then the actual work at site is executed. As on date, 35 nos. mock-ups have were created.

  • Most of the columns and beams are of fair face concrete which have been casted in single pour for all heights/lengths varying from 3 mtr - 5 mtr. The columns are without any shuttering joints while in beams the shuttering joints are very much restricted and have been provided only in pattern. The shuttering ply for fair face concrete columns and beams has been imported from Finland because of more length, more thickness and better smoothness of laminated surface.

  • Expansion Joint Cover Assemblies have been imported from USA and installed in presence of Engineer from the supplier. This shall ensure the building as fully leak proof The roofs has been cladded with stainless steel of Moon-rock finish which have been specially manufactured from Steel Authority of India Ltd.

  • The landscaping work shall consist of Tensar Geogrids and Mats for Soil Stabilization and recreation of sharp slopes.

  • A water body have been developed along the valley having an area of 25,000 sqm. Approx with average depth of water as 0.75 mtr (2½ ft). The water body consists of use of Geomembrane as Pond liners and is being designed on Re-circulation System of water after filtration. Each cycle has a duration of 15 hours. Evaporation loss for water during summer is 7 Lacs ltrs per day. This is replenished from Tube Wells.

  • The highest point of roof is approximately 46.00 m(151 ft.) above the water body level.

  • Water requirement for drinking, domestic & make-up water for air conditioning plant is 3 Lacs Ltr. per day with peak demand soaring to 4.5 Lacs Ltr. per day. This will be catered to from the main city water supply system. Water requirement for horticulture, fire fighting and the water bodies is about 15 Lac ltr. per day which will be met from 4 nos. tube wells. There are two under ground water tanks with five & six compartments, each of capacity as One Lac ltr. Water will be available round the clock for all purposes by virtue of automatic controls i.e. by computerized Building Management Systems (BMS).

  • A separate system for storm water in the Complex has been laid to drain off the rainwater from the Complex. Water from around the Complex will be drained through open channels along the water body. Rainwater between Complex-C and the water body will percolate to ground through perforated wells bored for this purpose.

  • The building is fully air-conditioned round the clock except for Mechanical Area and Office Area. This system of Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) is designed for 43.30 C DB during summer and 7.20 C DB during winter to maintain 18±10C DB in art and storage area including library and 240C DB in administrative areas. The maximum capacity during peak season comes out to be 1046 TR and during winter the load reduces to 618 Kw. There are 4 nos. Chillers, 3 nos. Cooling Towers, 29 nos. Air Handling Units, 3nos. Air Washers and 11 nos. Pumps as a part of HVAC System.

  • The electrical supply for KHC shall be fed from 132 KV Sub-Station of PSEB after stepping down to 66KV and through 66 KV Transmission line upto 66KV Sub-Station under construction within KHC. The supply shall further be stepped downed at 66KV Sub-Station into 11KV and then 11 KV through underground H.T. line upto 11KV Sub-Station also to be constructed within KHC. The power shall then be stepped down to 415 Volt by 3 nos. 1500 KVA Transformer and distributed vide more than 140 nos. LT Switchboards and DBs through LT Cables. Peak load requirements for the complex is estimated at 1.9MW.

  • There are more than 2800 lighting fixtures to illuminate the entire complex. This includes outdoor lighting fixtures from M/s BEGA, Germany & internal exhibition lighting fixtures from M/s Concorde, UK, Philips etc.

  • The Fire Detection, Alarm and Security System includes fire detectors, smoke detectors, beam detectors, hooters, manual call points, speakers, magnetic door contact, PIR sensor, CCTV system etc. All controls are centralized in security room.

  • All the services i.e. Plumbing, Fire Fighting, HVAC, Fire Detection, Alarm and Security System shall all be controlled by computerized Building Management System

  • A visitor shall travel approximately 1.5 Kms starting from the drop-off point if he chooses to visit all the accessible areas in the Complex. The time spent shall be approximately 2 hours if the visit is at a stretch.