07-30-2014, 09:48 AM
The Mill Owners' Association Building is a Le Corbusier building in Ahmedabad, India. Located on Ashram Road, in the western part of the city, it overlooks the river Sabarmati. A ceremonial ramp makes for a grand approach into a triple-height entrance hall, open to the wind. Arrival is on the first floor, where (as per the original design) the executives’ offices and boardroom are located. The ground floor houses the work spaces of the clerks and a separate, single-storey canteen at the rear. On the third floor is a high, top-lit auditorium with a roof canopy and a curved, enclosing wall, in addition to a generous lobby. The east and west façades are in the form of sun breakers or brise-soleil, one of Corbusier’s many formal inventions, which, while avoiding harsh sun, permit visual connection and air movement. While the brise-soleil act as free façades made of rough shuttered concrete, the north and south sides, built in rough brickwork, are almost unbroken (text from Wikipedia).