This Indian project’s conceptual design was provided by designers from the University of Tokyo, continuing a history of collaboration between the institute and Japanese universities, says the project submission.

Each structure roof in the complex consists of a series of concrete folded plate elements, with clear spans measuring up to 56 m. Plates continuously change their angle along the entire length and depth of the slab. Roofs were cast in situ—a first for India, the project team says. To achieve the curved profile, the team used a 3D model of the formwork, including top and bottom shuttering plates. Each span was divided into 3-m segments, with formwork modules prefabricated for each segment. Mock-ups were tested before final casting.

The team lowered the embodied carbon in the concrete mix by replacing 25% of the portland cement with fly ash, all sourced from the same plant to keep the concrete appearance uniform. The project used M40 concrete, with the high early strength of the mix allowing the bottom shutter to be removed from formwork after seven days.

Customized working platforms were adopted to follow the complex curvature of the roofs, increasing productivity and keeping workers safe.