The Black Hole
Project: Retail Space/Graphic Design
Location: Chennai, India
Status: Ongoing
Studio: The Madras Office for Architects and Designers
Design Team: Mahesh Radhakrishnan, Neeti Sivakumar
The Black Hole sucks you in.
To Consume.
A brand. An object. A lifestyle.
What does it mean to possess luxury?
The project is a shopping arcade located in Chennai, India. It consists of six blocks, each holding two retail outlets. The project aims at redefining a shopping complex by revisiting the approach and facade, and allows a clean transition of spaces from public to private.
The Black Hole is a ceiling graphic that can be viewed at the entrance of each block, creating an visual through the entirety of the arcade. It represents an idea of consumption indulged by society today, meaningless or otherwise. The graphic is mockingly said to be 'a religious fresco'.
The project brief, outlined by the lead architect, invited a detailed research into the history of fresco making and the development of the shopping mall in Chennai, India. The design intent soon developed into commentary of popular culture, from local adverts to common commodities. The graphic provides a look into today's consumerist lifestyle. The set of drawings generated from this creative process lead to the formulation of the visual language behind 'Black Hole'.
