Jewel Museum: Panna, India | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The proposed site has a lot to offer. Its hilltop location provides an expansive view of the cityscapes below. The site’s elevation is 45 metres above sea level. Currently, the location serves as a tourist attraction and vantage point over the city. The existing site consists of a small temple and a BSNL tower that were left intact during design. In addition, the site serves as a sunset point, drawing in more visitors from those who already plan to visit the museum.

Design Process

Initially, axis lines and shapes were abstracted and the physical structure of a diamond was analysed. Diamonds are primarily made up of pentagons, which have five points on which a different axis was drawn. The goal was to create a form that resembled the uneven shape of an extracted diamond rather than just abstracting a form from a pentagon.

Instead of creating linear passages, the various axis lines that were generated from those points were used to provide a route for creating a journey. The museum was made even more exciting by including a diamond-themed tunnel that visitors can explore on a toy train, in addition to laser shows and other attractions. When viewed from lower parts of the city, the irregular shapes emerging from the building resemble the irregular shape of a large diamond.

Final Outcome

The three main areas of the jewel museum are the museum, fashion show, and diamond auction. A century diamond sculpture inside the museum serves as a gathering point for visitors. This place is divided into two zones, one being the museum and the other being the administration department. There is a direct link between one entry and the fashion show, which hosts exhibitions of clothing and diamond jewellery.

The building’s form was achieved by locking different cityscape views that range in both direction and angle from the points where the openings were placed, giving visitors access to a variety of classic views from various station points. Additionally, there is a cell phone tower adjacent to the site, whose view is obscured by a solid façade. 

The exterior landscape has been thoughtfully designed to evoke the essence of sunset point. The elevation of the building consists of a multitude of small perforations on its façade that, from a distance, resemble sparkling diamonds.

The overall goal of the project is not only to create a museum that appeals to a wide range of interests and age groups but also to give a new identity to monotonous museums which people find boring.

Conclusion: By integrating unique form exploration with functionality, the project successfully achieves its dual objectives of creating a diamond museum that is both a tourist attraction and a city landmark. Restoring the town’s historical identity as the diamond capital of India, the design serves as a fresh image for the town.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]