Biswa Bangla Biswavidyalaya, Bolpur

Institutional

Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of education as an open learning system, exemplified in his founding of the iconic Shantiniketan, Biswa Bangla derives inspiration from a Gurukul concept of learning. Tagore’s philosophical influences have been materialized in the design, evident in the way that areas have been divided into uncluttered zones and how the facilities have been uniquely set up. The site is lined with a thick grove of trees that provide a natural buffer against the inevitable noise coming from the State Highway, running along the site’s northwest border. However, the main challenge of this project was the provision of entry and exit points as the State Highway itself was not a feasible option. An alternate route was devised in the form of an 18-metre-wide road that perpendicularly cuts across, running on one side of the University.