Architectural Concept Original model of Matrimandir and its ‘petals’ (1971) Roger Anger had three images in mind when he conceived the Matrimandir in 1970: First image: Brahman’s primeval ‘egg’ The architect gave the shape of a flattened sphere (horizontal diameter: 36 m, height: 29 m) to this „egg‟ of creation by rotating an oval, a „shalagrama‟, an ancient Tantric symbol symbolising „the unity of creation‟. This is indeed a fitting symbol for the „soul‟ of a city dedicated to the realisation of “an actual Human Unity”. Second image: a radiating golden supramental sun emerging from matter The architect represented the Matrimandir as the meeting point between matter‟s aspiration arising from below and the Divine Grace descending from above. The Divine Grace is represented by a ray of sunlight which it reflected by a heliostat and beams through the Matrimandir from top to bottom. The Matrimandir itself represents the combined effect of the Divine Grace and of matter‟s aspiration resulting in the new – Supramental – consciousness emerging from matter (the ground), breaking the crust of the earth and creating in the process two crater-like shapes (a large one followed by a smaller one) and ripples all around (shapes of the garden plots). What emerges is a golden supramental sun whose light radiates in all directions (symbolically its 12 rays are represented by 12 radial pathways which break through first and second craters and other ripples). This radiating sun represents the new consciousness which emerges to illumine the earth with its new Light. It is gold because gold is the colour of the Supramental. Third image: A lotus in full bloom „Aurobindo‟ in Bengali means „lotus‟ and, according to Sri Aurobindo, “The Mother is the Consciousness and Force of the Divine – which is the Mother of all things.” As the lotus symbolises the „Divine Consciousness‟, the Mother‟s symbol represents a lotus in full bloom and the architect gave this shape to the Matrimandir and its surroundings. Hence, the 12 segments of crater which surround the Matrimandir are called its 12 large „petals‟ and are followed by 12 small „petals‟ and all plots in the gardens are contoured to represent more petals of this lotus in full bloom. (This probably explains also why the Mother wanted the white Urn in the Amphitheatre to be in the shape of a lotus bud.) 24 Vertical Section of the Matrimandir 25 Structure Roger Anger designed the Matrimandir, except for its Inner Chamber, which the Mother repeatedly saw in visions. T. K. Santhanam, scientist at the Structural Engineering Research Centre – Madras calculated its structure. Piero Cicionesi, an Italian-Aurovilian architect, prepared all the working drawings and supervised its construction1 which was carried out by Aurovilians and local villagers working together. The principal load carrying members of the superstructure are the four pairs of sickle- shaped, 38m high reinforced concrete piers. Each pair of piers is 2.1m wide. Their thickness is 40cm above ground level and varies from 40cm to 70cm below. Four sets of pillars Up to Chamber level Up to the top First came the foundations and the four pairs of piers supporting the entire structure. These were completed on 17th November 1973 at the time the Mother left her body. The four pairs of ribs were completed in 1976; they are extensions of the four piers and are joined by ring beams at 1st & 2nd level, Chamber floor level and at the top. The Chamber floor, walls and roof were completed in 1979. In 1980, the steel structure of the twin spiral ramps and, later, the construction crane were manufactured in the Matrimandir workshop. They were installed at their respective places the same year. Chamber structure & steel structure of the twin spiral ramps 1 Piero‟s task ended with the space-frame‟s completion and the Inner Chamber‟s full completion. 26 Construction crane in place and space frame completed The construction crane, erected in 19802, was required to lift the prefabricated concrete beams into place, each weighing half a ton. Altogether they form the space-frame which gives the Matrimandir its spherical shape and supports its outer shell and inner „skin‟. These beams were cast in Matrimandir workshop and then hoisted to their exact position and secured. The „nodes‟ which join six beams together were cast in-situ using „lost‟ ferrocement shuttering. All this was complete in 1987. Space-frame seen from inside Ferrocement triangles being installed to create the Matrimandir’s outer shell The outer shell consists of ferrocement triangles (with a hole at their centre to install a porthole), which were prefabricated in a workshop, lifted in place and then grouted. A membrane was then applied to the whole surface to waterproof it but, 10 years later, it had to be entirely removed and re-applied when it was discovered that it was not adhering anymore to the surface. This repair work was completed in 2006. 2 It was removed in 2000 after having been used to hoist all the prefabricated concrete beams and ferrocement triangles and most discs. 27 Outer Face The Matrimandir is a flattened sphere (supported by four pillars) which is 29 m high and has a diameter of 36 m. Its vertical section is an oval, an ancient Tantric shape called “Shalagrama”, which symbolises the unity of creation. This flattened sphere is covered with some 1,400 golden discs to give the image of a radiating golden Supramental sun. Approximately one third of the discs are concave and large (their diameter is 2.3m or 2.4m); two thirds are convex and smaller (their diameter is 1.3m, 1.4m, 1.5m or 1.6m). Each large disc weighs 210kg. The first discs manufactured (about a third of the total) have a structure made of glass reinforced plastic; all others are made of stainless steel. Each disc is held in place approximately 80cm away from the structure by stainless steel „legs‟ (10&12 mm dia. stainless steel rods which are bolted to countless SS bolts which protrude from the structure). Architect Roger Anger working on a model of the Matrimandir with discs About 2 million golden tiles (4.5cm x 4.5cm) were made in a Matrimandir workshop. A very thin gold „leaf‟ (24 carat) was placed between two sheets of glass and this sandwich was then heated at a high temperature in an oven to fuse together glass sheets and gold leaf. Altogether some 20kg of gold were used to produce enough tiles to cover the 8,000m² surface of the discs. 1.6m diameter discs used 1,024 tiles while the largest ones (2.4m diameter) used 2,200 tiles each. Golden tile „Structural glazing‟, a two-component long-lasting silicone, was used to affix the tiles to the discs. A yellow silicone was then applied as grouting to hide the black „structural glazing‟. Note that the tiles come in several different shapes; the closest to the centre of a disc are more tapered. Tile pattern on a golden disc 28 The Matrimandir’s four Entrances In 1972, the Mother named the four pairs of pillars which support the Matrimandir after Her four Aspects or Personalities. These pillars serve also as the four main entrances to the sphere. In Sri Aurobindo‟s words, these Personalities are: Maheshwari One is her personality of calm wideness and comprehending wisdom and tranquil benignity and inexhaustible compassion and sovereign and surpassing majesty and all-ruling greatness. Mahakali Another embodies her power of splendid strength and irresistible passion, her warrior mood, her overwhelming will, her impetuous swiftness and world-shaking force. Mahalakshmi A third is vivid and sweet and wonderful with her deep secret of beauty and harmony and fine rhythm, her intricate and subtle opulence, her compelling attraction and captivating grace. Mahasaraswati The fourth is equipped with her close and profound capacity to initiate knowledge and careful flawless work and quiet and exact perfection in all things. Above, on the sides and behind each entrance (between pillars), a golden „shield‟ has been installed to mark the Matrimandir‟s four entrances and, in front of these „shields‟ has also been placed a very large golden disc with four petals, at the centre of which a geometrical shape indicates which entrance one faces: North Mahakali Strength Red square South Maheshwari Wisdom Orange hexagon East Mahalakshmi Harmony Pink circle West Mahasaraswati Perfection Light blue triangle Entrance staircases Mahakali entrance Golden door closed 29 First level and central staircases To reach the first level, one has to go down one of the four wide sloped radial pathways between two large „petals‟. There one has to remove one‟s shoes and climb the staircase in the pillars. As one climbs, a sensor triggers the automatic opening of an golden door whose design matches that of the golden „shield‟ above it. Having reached the top of the stairs, one enters the first level, a transition space whose floor is in white and grey marble and where one sits on a circular bench of white marble to put on white socks. First level: entrance of one of the twin central spiral staircases To continue one‟s ascent to the Inner Chamber, one has to go through a narrow doorway made of marble blocks. The architect conceived the staggering of these large blocks as a symbol of the need to make an effort in this yoga. The twin spiral staircase gives the appearance of being suspended on account of a gap at floor level. Having passed through this entrance, one comes into a brightly lit spiral staircase made entirely of white marble. As its outer wall is an inverted cone, the higher one climbs, the wider the steps become and the more one discovers the golden-pink inner skin whose colour permeates everything, including the white marble.