LHPA has given shape to Sanjay Khan’s vision for new satellite city outside Bangalore, India. Dubbed the “Skill City”, the 49 million sq ft sustainable Special Economic Zone derives inspiration from a printed circuit board and Mandala symbolism. The new satellite city houses a new technology campus, a 70-storey office tower, golf course, residential community and a 5 million sq ft grass-roofed mall for shopping, exhibition and entertainment.
Located on a 700-acre site between Bangalore and Chikkaballapura, the new city has adapted a very unique design for the technology campus buildings, which resembles a printed circuit board. Clustered around the twisting high-rise office tower, these interestingly designed buildings placed at the entrance to the city have provision for its own electricity generating plant. The twisted tower recalls the interweaving of ficus and banyan trees that are symbols of good luck in Hindu culture.
Residential buildings situated at the eastern end of the city are a good mix of single family and high-rise apartment towers. They are designed to be close to schools, parkland, a community centre and a medical center. The main focus of the complex is the entertainment and commercial complex, which includes an outdoor amphitheater on the edge of an artificial lake. Five indoor theaters will give a nice dose of entertainment and if that is not enough, an oversized movie screen is mounted on an island in the lake.
