Architecture · Jaisalmer, Rajasthan · 2024
Thar Pavilion
A cultural pavilion in golden sandstone that dissolves the boundary between interior and desert at dawn and dusk.
The Thar Pavilion sits at the edge of the Sam sand dunes, 40 kilometres from Jaisalmer, commissioned as a gathering and exhibition space for the annual Desert Festival. The climate is extreme: summer temperatures reach 48°C, winter nights drop to 4°C, and the annual dust season renders the landscape almost monochrome from March to May. The building had to work without mechanical cooling.
The structural solution is borrowed directly from Jaisalmer's 12th-century havelis: a double-skin sandstone wall 600mm thick, with a cavity that draws cool air from the shaded north elevation through terracotta ventilation ducts. The roof is a single hyperbolic paraboloid shell cast in local Jaisalmer yellow sandstone aggregate—its geometry generating deep overhangs on the south and west elevations while admitting controlled light from the north.
At ground level, the pavilion opens completely on three sides via 4.8-metre sliding sandstone screens—each panel weighing 1.4 tonnes, balanced on a single central pivot so a single person can operate them. When open, the building dematerialises: only the roof plane and two service cores remain as architecture; the floor—honed yellow sandstone fading into the same stone that constitutes the dunes—reads as a continuation of the desert itself.
Lighting strategy uses no artificial source until after dark. The hyperbolic roof geometry creates a band of raking light that traverses the interior floor over six hours, functioning as both timepiece and spectacle.
Materials
- —Jaisalmer yellow sandstone
- —Terracotta ventilation ducts
- —Honed sandstone aggregate
Awards
- ✦ Architectural Review MIPIM Award 2024
- ✦ Aga Khan Award for Architecture — Shortlist
— Story
The Journey of Thar Pavilion
The commission came from the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation with a challenge that seemed impossible: create a cultural pavilion in the middle of the Thar Desert that works without mechanical cooling, honors traditional building wisdom, and becomes a destination in itself. The site, on the edge of the Sam sand dunes, experiences some of the most extreme climate conditions on Earth—summer temperatures that can cook eggs on stone, winter nights that freeze water, and dust storms that can erase the horizon entirely.
Our approach began with studying how people have built in this region for millennia. We spent time in the 12th-century havelis of Jaisalmer, observing how thick sandstone walls, carefully oriented courtyards, and natural ventilation systems created comfort without electricity. We consulted with local stone masons who had worked with Jaisalmer yellow sandstone for generations, learning not just techniques but the cultural significance of each building tradition.
The breakthrough came when we realized we weren't designing against the desert, but with it. The extreme climate wasn't a problem to be solved—it was a design partner. The double-skin wall system, inspired by traditional havelis, creates a thermal buffer that naturally cools the interior. The hyperbolic paraboloid roof generates its own shading while directing rainwater to collection points. The massive sliding stone panels, each weighing 1.4 tonnes but balanced so perfectly that one person can operate them, allow the building to breathe with the seasons.
Construction became a collaboration between ancient wisdom and modern engineering. We worked with local stone masons who taught us how to read the grain of sandstone, how to cut it so it weathers gracefully, how to assemble it without mortar in ways that have lasted for centuries. At the same time, we used computer modeling to optimize the roof geometry for passive cooling and structural efficiency.
The most profound discovery came during the first monsoon season. We watched as the building responded exactly as designed—the thick walls remained cool, the ventilation ducts drew fresh air, the roof collected precious rainwater. But what we didn't expect was how the building would change with light. At dawn and dusk, the golden sandstone glows with the same intensity as the surrounding dunes, making the structure appear to dissolve into the landscape. The hyperbolic roof creates a band of moving light that traverses the interior floor like a sundial, marking time in a way that feels both ancient and contemporary.
The pavilion has become more than a cultural center—it's become a gathering place for the local community, a destination for tourists seeking authentic experiences, and a living laboratory for sustainable design. During the annual Desert Festival, it hosts performances and exhibitions, but during the rest of the year, it serves as a quiet place of contemplation where people can experience the profound beauty of the desert in comfort.
What our clients value most is that the building teaches. It demonstrates that traditional wisdom and modern technology can work together, that sustainability doesn't mean sacrifice, and that the most profound architecture often comes from listening to the land rather than imposing upon it. The Thar Pavilion doesn't just sit in the desert—it belongs to the desert.
