This government-funded university provides affordable higher education for the young people of Gujrat, previously denied such opportunities because of their geographical distance from Punjab’s major cities. A strong diagonal axis acts as a major spine, along which unfold a sports area, residential accommodation and administration buildings, culminating in seven academic blocks focused around a large amphitheatre. The client wanted a bold, forward-looking aesthetic, prompting the concept of ‘ships of knowledge’ with unembellished, crisp, angular planes that create strong contrasts of light and shade. The foundations of the academic blocks have been padded to allow for vertical expansion in the future.
Source:
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2011.
