Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School

Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School is a girls school in the rural thar desert of Jaisalmer in indian state of Rajasthan. The school is unique in that the architects designed it in the shape of an oval that can withstand temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius.[1] The school can accommodate 400 girls from kindergarten to tenth grade. The school is aimed to provide education and training in traditional skill sets such as artistry, weaving, embroidery for women. Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School is designed by a New York based company Diana Kellogg Architects.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School
Address
Kanoi village

Jaisalmer
,
Rajasthan

India
Information
TypePrivate
Enrollment400 (April 2020)
Websitewww.cittaindia.org

History

The school is named after "Ratnavati," the Jaisalmer princess. She was the daughter of Maharawal Ratan Singh.[8]

School uniform

Sabyasachi Mukherjee designed the school uniform doing Ajrak, a local printing technique similar to printing.[6][9]

Architecture

Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School is located in the rural region surrounding Jaisalmer, near the hamlet of Kanoi. Its architecture is unique and distinctive, featuring an oval-shaped building amidst the desert landscape.[10] The elliptical shaped structure, angled towards the prevailing winds, is designed to effectively circulate cool air and symbolizes femininity, aligning with the project's ethos. Jaisalmer stonemasons built the school out of precut golden sandstone. Kellogg, the designer and architect of the school, refers to it as "a big, tight hug."[11] Oval geometry of the school symbolizes the strength of women.[12]

Building material

Kellogg employed traditional methods in the design of the structure, one of which was the application of lime plaster on the interior walls. Lime plaster is a natural, porous material that has a cooling effect. Additionally, she incorporated a jali wall into the design, which is a sandstone grid that promotes acceleration of wind through the Venturi effect.[11] The school is made of local yellow sandstone that was handcrafted by local artisans. The building is designed in a way that it does not require the use of air conditioning.[13][1]

Building

The school is one of three buildings in the complex known as the "Gyaan Centre."

  • The Medha Hall-The Medha Hall is an area designated for a library and a museum, and a space for performances and art exhibitions for local crafts such as textiles. The women could learn local weaving and embroidery techniques.[14][15][16]
  • The courtyard has a rainwater harvesting facility.

Awards
  • The school was awarded the AD100 – an annual survey of the best names in design by Architectural Digest.[17]

CITTA

The royal family of Jaisalmer and Manvendra Singh Shekhawat donated the land for the school.[18][17] Diana kellogg architects, in collaboration with CITTA, which is a registered nonprofit organization in New York, have made a significant contribution to the building of the school.[2][19]

References
  1. "This School Made of Sandstone in the Middle of The Thar Desert Needs no ACs". The Better India. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. "'I feel free here': how a miracle girls' school was built in India's 'golden city'". the Guardian. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  3. Explore the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, retrieved 22 June 2021
  4. Nishtha Grover (16 October 2020). "Sabyasachi makes school uniforms for underprivileged girls in Jaisalmer. Priceless pic". India Today. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  5. Berg, Nate (17 May 2021). "See the beautiful school these dads built for their daughters". Fast Company. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  6. Assomull, Sujata (14 October 2020). "Why girls at Jaisalmer's Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School will be wearing uniforms designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee". Vogue India. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. Magazine, Wallpaper* (8 June 2021). "Sustainable school in rural India celebrates local sandstone". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  8. "राजकुमारी रत्नावती की शौर्यगाथा | 3 Exclusive History Facts | Rajkumari Ratnawati | RAJPUTANA". 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. "Sabyasachi on Instagram: "Ajrakh uniforms by Sabyasachi for the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. @… in 2021 | School girl, Sabyasachi, School uniform". Pinterest. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  10. "Aiming to Empower Girls, This Jaisalmer School is an Architectural Wonder in the Midst of Thar Desert". www.news18.com. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  11. Chelsea Lee. "How this school in the Indian desert stays cool even in extreme heat". CNN. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  12. The Desert School In Rajasthan That Needs No ACs | TN Plus, retrieved 5 February 2023
  13. "This girls' school in middle of Thar desert needs no ACs | Jaipur News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  14. world, STIR. "Architecture that nurtures, heals, protects: the Gyaan Center in Jaisalmer". www.stirworld.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  15. "Diana Kellogg Architects' oval-shaped girl's[sic] school is made of hand-carved sandstone in rural India". World Architecture Community. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  16. Nath, Aatish (8 January 2021). "Diana Kellogg and ovals in the sand". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  17. "An AD100 excellence award-winning project, a school in Jaisalmer". Architectural Digest India. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  18. Khanna, Anshu (14 January 2021). "BRIJ RAJ SINGH BHATI: THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING". The Daily Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2021. A revolution that had been quietly brewing for the last few years, Gyaan Center is a project of the Citta Foundation, spearheaded by American artist Michael Daube. A marvelous piece of architecture designed by New York-based architect Diana Kellogg and built around a stone structured palace donated by the Jaisalmer royal family, the center houses not just The Rajkumari Ratnavati School for girls but also a women's cooperative that aims to empower the women of the region through craft employment and enhance gender parity in the region. A project wholly supported by Chaitanya and Raseshwari, who even donated the land it is built on, Gyaan Center by Citta Foundation is an architectural marvel. Its oval form is meant to reflect the curvilinear shapes of the local forts and the universal symbols of female strength.
  19. Bloom, Laura Begley. "How One Man Is Helping Transform The Lives Of Women Around The Globe". Forbes. Retrieved 22 June 2021.

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