11/01/2012

HIDE & SEEK Bal Mandir - Presentation status












Spontaneous temples growing into stable structures with time

 














HIDE & SEEK Bal Mandir - Introduction



Bal-Mandir – literally meaning "Child's Temple" – is a place that aspires to create a sense of relevance for its users, the kindergarten's kids. Doing that by adjusting the building's scale to their measure and creating a challenging and playful environment for them.

In the Hide & Seek Bal Mandir the kids could pass on their fours through a colorfully paved tunnel to the untouched area, joined to the wall and the plinth level with a sand slope. Another passage is created by a narrow gap that divides the wall in two, which they can squeeze through. A little window, positioned at their eyesight level, allows them to peep to the natural surroundings from the interior of the structure, whilst the grown-ups can watch it over the lower wall.  

  Positioning two classrooms opposite to one another with a one meter offset from the
  school gate in order to define the school entrance.


The four main principles that guided our design








HIDE & SEEK Bal Mandir - Building Process



  Working bottom-up, we set up the chronological process required for elements
  that intersect with each other. 

1. Foundations
Technical section describing the foundation


2. Tunnel*
   Tunnel reinforcement before applying the ferrocement



3. Wall
Wall during construction
 4. Roof

 Roof construction is lying on a beam which passes through the wall

Roof beam - wall intersection detail


Roof - wall intersection
5. Finishing - polished cement flooring and hay roof cover
Applying polished cement flooring in IPS technique
Covering the roof construction with hay

Summarising all the building process for a minute and a half stop-motion, we got the following:


Own Self Mandir


In my understanding, a temple is a place in which you practice for something you believe in, but is non-physical.

I translated that understanding so that the object of belief is reflected. The practice makes you looking at yourself through words that are associated to god, but can be read as both a description of one's action: "created" "judged" "blessed", or an imperative: "create!" "judge!" "bless!". The mandir is placed as a street art or graffiti in a central commercial street in Jerusalem, and across Bezalel's historical building in the city center.

The Own Self Mandir is my personal temple, that rely on the belief that we have the power to control our lives.