Abstract

This research aims to study the factors that have a considerable impact on the conviviality of architectural spaces by studying three cultural institutions. The theoretical aspects are understood through the literature study to identify the key parameters influencing conviviality. Further, the identified parameters are tested for the degree of influence on the phenomenon of conviviality through spatial analysis of the selected cases of three public institutions: Triveni Kala Kendra, New Delhi, the Museum of Socialism, Lucknow and the Lilavati Lalbhai Library, Ahmedabad. The selection of cases is on the basis of accessibility to a wide range of users largely by virtue of being public spaces, yet maintain the spatial diversity by selecting spaces of varied functional use.

 

The study has been successful in generating the key principles of convivial spaces that shall prove to be useful for design professionals. The study concludes that comfort, accessibility and connectivity, control or ownership over space, engagement with the space, aesthetics and design contribute to the conviviality of a cultural institution but the degree to which they impact a space can vary to a great extent. The study was conducted during the pandemic with limited physical access to the public buildings. Hence the study is purely interpretive and includes the end users’ perspectives based mainly on the memories of past visits.

Keywords

conviviality, cultural institutions, spatial engagement, comfort, sociability

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References

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