The Milind College was set up by Dr. BR Ambedkar. The design and architecture of the main college building is quite visibly derived and inspired from principles of Buddhist architecture. The daily activities in the college and the values inculcated in the students and staff, are those derived from Buddhism - Minimalism, simplicity, focus and attention to small details. As we began designing a new Library building for the Milind College as well as the local University, it was important to pay attention to the surrounding context - not just in terms of existing buildings, but also in terms of values and daily lifestyles of local students and staff. We consciously made an attempt to derive our design ideas and evolve a new expression from the principles that Dr. Ambedkar propagated. As we looked to take inspiration from Buddhist architecture and spaces from traditional developments, it was important to note that the best form of conservation of a practice/ idea is to re-appropriate and contemporize it to belong to its present era and time. Our design proposals aspired to achieve this - preserve and build on ideas of Buddhist architecture, yet contextualize them to the modern needs and aspirations.

Client : Department of social and justice, Government of Maharashtra Cost : Est. 80cr
Land Area : 22,860 sq.m
Buil-up Area : 16,100 sq.m
Design Proposal : October 2016