An Open and Democratic Design

 

A new library for Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (SMVIT) in Bangalore, India has completed with architecture by locally-based Cadence Architects. With its monumental presence and exposed concrete structure atop an array of pilotis, the building establishes a strong landmark at the heart of the engineering university’s masterplan. The SMVIT Library is sited along a main road between the hostel buildings and academic blocks, and will soon overlook a central plaza which is soon to be completed, creating a natural gathering point for faculty and students.

SMVIT Library Cadence Architects
images © Atik Bheda

 

 

a gathering hub for smvit

 

Cadence Architects shapes the library to encourage interaction across the SMVIT campus. The building does not read as a solitary monument but as an active connector. Its floorplan invites movement throughout and around the structure which, as the architects note, supports the university’s call for a democratic, inclusive hub.

 

The heavy concrete volume is elevated over the ground plane atop a series of columns, its footprint planned as a careful response to the site’s mature trees, weaving the building into its natural setting. Broad pedestrian paths pass through and along the structure, enhancing its role as both a destination and a thoroughfare within the campus.

SMVIT Library Cadence Architects
the heavy concrete volume is elevated over the ground plane atop a series of columns

 

 

cadence architects’ sectional complexity

 

Concrete gives Cadence Architects’ SMVIT Library a sense of permanence and strength, while the building’s porosity and layered volumes maintain a welcoming atmosphere. The design team balances solidity with openness, ensuring the library feels at once grounded and responsive to sunlight and breezes.

 

Inside, sectional shifts create a mix of intimate reading alcoves and generous communal zones. The interplay of volumes supports focused study as well as collaboration, further embodying the architecture’s flexible and democratic spirit.

SMVIT Library Cadence Architects
locally-based firm Cadence Architects designed the building as a gathering hub

SMVIT Library Cadence Architects
interior spaces range from quiet reading nooks to open communal zones

SMVIT Library Cadence Architects
the design encourages interaction and collaboration across disciplines