wallmakers sculpts sinuous kulhad pavilion from disused terracotta cups in india

"Kulhads, also known as terracotta mud cups, once defined the everyday ritual of tea at railway stations across India. Used briefly and discarded soon after, they accumulated along tracks and coastlines, leaving a quiet record of consumption. For this pavilion, more than 18,000 of these cups were gathered from local communities in Dharavi and reused as a building material with structural purpose."

"The architects at Wallmakers form the Kulhad Pavilion through three compressive catenary vaults, each shaped to direct weight downward into the ground. Built as unreinforced masonry, the vaults rely on geometry and gravity rather than additives or frames. The earthen cups are stacked and bonded to create a porous surface that filters light and air while maintaining mass and stability."

"As the structure meanders along the beach edge, it takes on multiple roles as seating, shade, and informal stage. People pause beneath the vaults to escape the sun, while animals find shelter in the same spaces. Through this simple exchange between waste material and spatial need, Wallmakers presents the Kulhad Pavilion as an example of how discarded objects can regain civic presence through careful architectural thinking."

Wallmakers' Kulhad Pavilion stands on Miramar beach in Goa as a temporary structure for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025, occupying a narrow shaded strip between trees and the coast. More than 18,000 reclaimed terracotta kulhads collected from Dharavi were stacked and bonded to form three compressive catenary vaults that rely on geometry and gravity as unreinforced masonry. The porous earthen surfaces filter light and air while maintaining mass and stability. The sinuous pavilion offers seating, shade, and an informal stage, providing shelter for people and animals and demonstrating reuse of discarded objects for civic purpose.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine