CHANDIGARH: If you haven’t visited Rashtrapati Bhavan and marvelled at the visuals of the British-era mansion, here’s a small window to the masterly craftsmanship. Begin it with the ground: the flooring has more than 50 patterns or compositions. Each pattern follows eight-nine geometrical designs.
These patterns have muted shades of yellow & green as well as brick red, says a study conducted by a 10-member team of Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA). Together, they have come out with the first volume of a book containing the flooring patterns. Titled ‘Interpreting Geometries,’ it is expected to be released soon. The unique study has documented and decoded the flooring pattern of the iconic Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The official residence of the President of India was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. It stands on a 330-acre estate. It was completed in the year 1929 after 17 years of work. The marble used in the massive mansion was procured locally. However, the ceremonial area has imported marble, says the study.
Principal of the college Sangeeta Bagga Mehta and assistant professor Vipendra Singh said CCA received the project from Rashtrapati Bhavan in August last year. “We finished the first part in March this year,” said Mehta.
The book was initially planned as a coffee table book. “When we surveyed the building and observed the flooring, we decided to document and decode it after doing its mapping,” she said. Since it involved a large amount of work with a six-month deadline to complete, the team decided to involve the students as well.