Pixelated Architecture: A digital interpretation of architecture.

Piloo Modi College of Architecture,ABIT, Cuttack, Orissa

Project idea

The project is based upon the redevelopment of Anand-Vihar Railway Station, Delhi, India.
The theme adopted for the development of the whole project supports the concept of portraying the digital growth of India in the last decade.The pixels being the the smallest unit of digital image, is used in this concept to portray the digital interpretation of architectural style. In architecture, pixelated design has found its greatest success on the facades and walls of buildings, acting as a simple decoration that suggests the merging of the physical and digital world.The theme is further applied both in macro-levels and micro-level keeping in mind the mass control for 2030 population in the transit building along with the climate responsive aspects being satisfied. Adding to it a futuristic approach has been tried to make to the canvas of architecture to teleport the present scenario to a sudden futuristic scenario. Hence fulfilling the typology of pixelated architecture in the catergory of Avant-garde architecture. Along with cubism , while using cubic forms in a rhythmic pattern to break the monotony at places.
Micro-level concept includes a "ticket and gate" concept:
It includes a change in the conventional working system of a railway station.In this we have provided two gates of departure and arrival to save time and avoid accumulation of mass at a single gate.
This two gate system would require, the railway officials who already know to direction of arrival of train to allot a gate number to the e-booked tickets of passengers for entry to the railway building according to their nearest arrival confirmed compartment.
The passengers booking on-spot would have separate lane of entry in either of the gate.

Project description

The site is in Anand Vihar , New Delhi. The project is of redevelopment of the old building of the Anand-Vihar Railway Station, which is a major part of Anand-Vihar Transit HUb, comprising of other transport systems, like bus station and metro station.The project is to make the old building future ready to accommodate max. incoming passengers as well as other occupants for the year 2030, along with increased facility in terms of a airport.(Railport-Airport+Railway station).
The development includes the commercial area development and the railway area development.
Subdividing into:
-The IT-Sectors
-The Multipurpose Buildings
-The hotel tower
-The surface parking
-The Multilevel car parking(MLCP)
-The Railport
-The Metrostation
-Landscapes
-Waterbodies.

Ground Floor-Arrival Level
First Floor- Departure Level
Second Floor-Accommodation level

Technical information

The technological installations would include:
Digital glass facade: Advantages:
Double glazing digital glass facade compromises of two layer glass acting as insulators sandwiching a matrix of LED, which displays computerized data on the surface without hampering the visual connectivity of interior to exterior space.
In this context, the digital facade would display necessary information to the passengers on its facade and on account of national observational days, like Republic and Independence days , the whole building would be a "Digital-canvas" displaying patriotic contents and also turning itself into the national flag dedicating itself to the nation.

Hologram Installation:
At the multipurpose building to project computerized floating displays as light and sound show dedicating itself to the digital theme as a whole.

Co-authors

U.Chidvilasha