National Institute of Faith and Leadership

Ghaziabad, India

The main academic block - the first phase of the development of the NIFL campus - currently houses classrooms, a library and dining spaces, a seminar/prayer hall and dormitories. It is largely composed of brick, into which two concrete volumes extend themselves. A cantilevered slab sweeps across the top of the building, shielding the campus but opening up to a courtyard sporting an air of relative relaxation. The symmetrical, axially oriented and rectilinear landscape in the courtyard is an interpretation of traditional Persian gardens. Thick walls with minimal and carefully placed openings celebrate the ‘Indian light’ by taming it and designing darkness. Reading spaces and classrooms are well lit, but spaces introspective in nature remain in shadow.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture