Spanning 80 acre on the outskirts of Bengaluru, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) recently inaugurated the Dr Ramdas M Pai Convention Hall and Food Court (MARC), a 123,000-sq-ft facility comprising a 1,200-seater auditorium above and a two-level food court below.

Elaborating on the design framework, Akshay Heranjal, Co-Founder and Principal Architect, The Purple Ink Studio, remarks, “The design programme included two distinct facilities: a food court spanning two (lower) levels and a 1,200-seater auditorium positioned above. A rectangular soft enclosure of a plaza was planned around the building, increasing the visual footprint. The outdoor plaza, with its optical conundrum, extended the interiors seamlessly.”