Phrases like, 'inner world', 'one dimensional character' or 'I contain multitudes' are all rooted in the notion that a person is a vast entity containing all that they've ever been and will be, all that they've experienced, and everything that they resonate with. Like physical spaces all of us have our own architecture which is made up of our dreams, fears and the little stories that our minds weave everyday about us and the world. Art in any form is a vehicle that takes us within ourselves to these realized or unexplored regions. And every time it happens we come into our own just a little bit; seeing into ourselves.

A new museum in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, based on the same idea, takes the shape of our inner worlds. The Aatma Manthan Museum by Sanjay Puri Architects aims to evoke self analysis by bringing together a holistic combination of the soul (aatma), mind (mana), and body (tann). Spread across 18,000 sq.ft, the museum is divided into a series of cavernous rooms that flow into each other, each of which offers a different immersive experience through the depiction of natural elements.

The sequential flow of the rooms is a direct response to the floorplan of the museum which was designed on an irregular landscape. The architects used this to their advantage to create an unusual, more fluid structure. You enter Aatma Manthan through a larger foyer sculpted with a thin layer of foam concrete that results in a homogenous sensorial experience. The neutral palette enabled by the use of concrete creates a tranquil atmosphere preparing you for the different immersive sections of the museum.

As you go further, a narrower undulating corridor exhibits images of the site before during and after construction making you aware of the history and origin of the space you're currently inhabiting. Each room of the museum is embellished with different textures, colours, and sounds giving you a unique audio-visual experience. Instead of being an overwhelming experience or a place where you're forced to hurry across the corridors trying to absorb every art piece and artefact housed within, Aatma Manthan does the opposite. By creating a quieter experience through the thermal and acoustic insulation properties of foam concrete, the museum slows down time to a point where all you experience is yourself, your breathing, your physical presence, and the awe the space incites in you.

Aatma Manthan wants to create the opportunity to check in with yourself and foster a culture of conscious living where you don't feel the need to escape your reality.

Follow Sanjay Puri Architects here.

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