Name & Location :The PAViLiON……Sea Plane Terminal and Boat Club, Gangapur dam, Nashik

Cost of the Project : Rs.11.69 crores Built-up area : 1534.65 sq. meter

Description of the Project : “Sail Away – Explore, Dream, Discover” is what the soaring PAViLiON calls out. It was a quest for creating an Iconic structure for Maharashtra Tourism Department at the Gangapur dam, Nashik – a pilgrimage city, a tourist destination & a rising business centre. The transport hub was designed as the landing point for the sea planes to enhance Nashik-Mumbai connectivity as a gen-next level of transportation and for recreational Boating activities. The site was finalized with an intention to create a visual journey for the tourists; to get a breathtaking vista of the horizon, where the dam water meets the mountainscape of the famous Anjaneri hills and the Trimbakeshwar hills. The important reference point was the idea of sail boat that stands against wind and water, which were the main elements of the site. The design took its cue from the transverse structure of a sail boat – the form, the anchor and the inflated sails 

Materials : The entire pavilion was structurally designed in steel frame structural system to achieve large spans with minimum depth & size of the main members. For the Infills, silted soil from the dam was re-used. Hunter Douglas perforated louvers for facades.  High strength Galvo-aluminium roof sheets with glass-wool Insulation for roof. Pavilion frame is of Mild Steel structure with Stainless steel pin joints. Sky lights with toughened glass. The pavilion was fabricated at site. 

Special features – The Pavilion taking its cue from the transverse structure of a sail boat adds a new fragment to absolute architecture, where the structure acknowledges the place – progressive and reflective!! The orientation of the PAViLiON allows an easy and unobstructed dialogue with the vast expanse of the picturesque surroundings, seamlessly integrating the landscape with the travelling experience. It was a novel experience to go through a process of reverse designing where the architect’s visualizations was first culminated to form a model and then the drawings! The challenge was overcome to balance the contradictory design factors in an open structure and be climatically responsive. 

The pin – joints between the column and inclined trusses of roof create a floating effect. The elemental unifying walls were designed to segregate the public and technical domains. The landscape pathways and sit outs looking out towards the water front have been designed to look like a continuation of the flooring pattern and courts inside the pavilion. Shade and shadow pattern have been applied in designing fenestrations such as grid walls, perforated louvers, size and length of cantilever.

The minimalistic design of the space, with paneled perforated louvers all around and an ascending floating roof gives the visitors an open yet enclosed experience. As one alights from the sea plane on the floating jetty to head towards the terminal by a boat, the pavilion acts as a landmark to draw attention to the RISING NASHIK campaign. The Man, with an innate yearning towards nature, revels in this space and the enriching experience it provide

 The PAViLiON…………For Sea Plane Terminal and Boat Club, Gangapur dam, Nashik

GREEN STATUS POINTS –

Use Of Recyclable Materials – The Pavilion is a structure constructed with steel and glass which is 100% recyclable. Bare minimum use of concrete reduces wastage and does not pose problem of waste disposal.

Sustainable Site Development – The silted soil from the dam was re-used for raising the site and for landscaping. Desilting the dam has led to improved reservoir capacity and increased water storage in the dam.

Natural Lighting –   Due to its open planning and use of perforated louvers, maximum use of natural daylight is achieved. Absence of solid walls and the presence of skylights eliminates the use of artificial lights during the day.

Natural Ventilation – The pavilion’s south west orientation towards the wind flow coming from the dam water and by the sun-path makes it a climate responsive design. This orientation helps to achieve unobstructed vista of the dam water, vast unblocked expanse of the sky and of natural winds.

Use Of Turbo Vents –  For the enclosed toilet block changing rooms and admin block, turbo vents have been installed to enhance natural ventilation. Also skylights in this area produce natural light.

Use Of Solar Panels –  Energy efficiency is maximized with the use of solar panels in the admin and service blocks for energy generation especially for LED lighting and water heating systems thus reducing the dependency on traditional power sources.

Rain Water Harvest –  Rain water collected from the roof of the pavilion as well as from the admin and service blocks is redirected through down-take pipes and filtered naturally through layers of aggregate and fine sand to be reverted back to the dam.

Sewage Treatment Plant–  As it is a public space, a sewage treatment facility has been provided, from which the soil waste and gray water is used for plantation over large acquired Government lands at a lower stream of dam.

Optimizing Land Use –  There was abundant land around the dam available from the government for this project however just 1.5 acers of barren waste land was taken as the site for to minimize harm to the natural habitat

A Step Towards Carbon Neutrality –  The use of recyclable materials, reuse of soil, maximum use of natural light and ventilation and use of alternate energy sources enables the projects to take a right step towards carbon neutrality. Also the pavilion promotes use of seaplanes which are more eco-friendly than other motorized transport modes.