The project for VAE industries a locomotive unit in collaboration with VAE group of Austria, involved in developing a large volume of factory shed. A supplier to Indian railways, VAE-VKN wanted this shed to take care of manufacturing switches and crossings.
The organisation of the shed on the site was a limitation on its own. High tension wires cutting right through the center of the site forced the distancing of the new unit from the existing one. The orientation of the linear block, parallel to the site periphery not only generated a larger work volume between the old and the new unit but also imparted a more dynamic vista to the traveler on the national highway-indeed a boon.
The 18mX136m long shed is a strong statement in steel-with an interesting combination of bare and coated galvanized sheet. The periodic occurence of steel col-md-4s, deliberately exposed and starkly painted red, preserves the sanctity of this steel structure and accentuates the linerarity and the scale. The cafeteria block was an add-on. The client needed canteen and rest rooms for the workers. The sharp, strong, linear surface of the steel shed needed a more toned down and curvilinear block-a total contrast devoted solely to the act of workers recreation.