HONOURABLE FORMER CHIEF MINISTER SELVI J.JAYALALITHA'S MEMORIAL

Whatever may be the political opinions and controversies, the government wanted a structure to be erected for the late chief minister..an all India design competition was called for.. We took part in it.. We wanted architecture to help thousands of people who come to Marina every day..(approximately 50000 people during the weekends)..many of them are poor, arrive in Chennai in buses from various parts of Tamil Nadu and spend the day in hot sun, touring and site seeing.. we felt these monumental spaces can give them shade, shelter, togetherness and cheer.. A monumental prodigious structure is been erected with intriguing curves and angles blending with the waves flowing on the marina coast. The memorial is a social and collective structure that commemorates amma’s life. For a person who lived for the people we wanted to celebrate her life through this memorial by giving back to the people of Tamil Nadu. Every structure and every space is designed keeping in mind the dynamic life she lived. The cast in place exposed concrete monument is conceived as an experiential environment comprising of deep intertwining and interlaced inclined walls. The museum located in the northern aisle of the phoenix, showcases the historical journey of amma’s life and her various programs for the welfare of the people. Deep thought has been given into the play of light and shadow within the space. The light that enters through the oculus is subtly filtered through the prismatic glass bringing in diffused daylight to brighten up the enthralling interiors of the museum. The knowledge center is located on the southern aisle of the phoenix, spaces have been designed to facilitate sharing of knowledge and provides a platform for women empowerment and youth development as well as school and college students to showcase their strengths and abilities and bring out their hidden talents. The GFRC panels proposed for the clearstory opening will create a sense of texture as well as interact with light. Design Team: Murali Murugan, Raghuram, Seethapathy, Nishanth Ramesh, Thomson Siby, Vignesh Moorthy, Muthukumaran, Hikmath, Mohan Moorthy.