The Bajaj Science Education Center, in Wardha district of Maharashtra, has been lovingly designed by Pune-based Christopher Benninger of Christopher Charles Benninger Architects. The look of the place is defined by the use of simple, local materials and exposed brick, staying true to the location’s solid Gandhian era legacy. The building is divided in disciplined sections, clothed in humble colours and keeps even its interiors homely and approachable. The structure mixes the enclosed spaces with open-to-the-skies meeting and ideation spots. The complex has eschewed plaster and paint completely, instead relying on a burnt brick and concrete look. Shahabad and Kota stone fill in the gaps and the arches; solid vaults cap the different structures; while the natural greenery of the place dutifully enhances the rustic ambience of the center. The entry point lends itself to a mascot of modernist expression with a convex, elongated bowl made of exposed concrete and supported by a column of four pillars. The centre seems to go back to the archetypical Indian architectural style of warmth and functionality.
