Friday, October 13, 2017

A jewel in the sky: Biswa Bangla Convention Centre to be inaugurated today 13 Oct 2017


Hon'ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre today at 6pm. I'll post more photos later. A write-up is given below. See my special comments at end :)
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Government of West Bengal has developed  a state of the art Township  named New Town Kolkata through West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (WBHIDCO). The township  has a designed  population  of 10.00 lakhs  with 5.00 lakhs floating  people.   Major infrastructure  of the township are almost complete including roads, electricity, drainage, sewerage system etc. with modern facilities.
It has undertaken  a considerable  number of projects which are unique  in the country such as :
Eco Park :  It has developed  a huge Eco  Park titled as ‘Prikriti Tirtha’  with around  480 acres of land including  water bodies of around 100 acres.
Mother’s Wax Museum is developed as a great attraction to the visitors .  It has also value added features to the City of Kolkata.
Rabindra Tirtha and Nazrul Tirtha  have been developed  which have become important centres  in the field of art and culture of Bengal.
A well designed park  named “Swapno Bhor” has been developed for senior people of the city . Besides a Senior citizens home named “Snehodiya’ is coming up.
It has also become an important non-polluted industrial center of  Kolkata  where around 70,000 people are already  working in the IT & ITeS sector.
A well designed  Financial & Legal hub is coming up  very rapidly.
A ‘Business Club’  is developed  by NKDA with modern facilities like swimming pools, Tennis court, Basket Ball court, Gymnasium , badminton court etc.
To give the city a smart and modern shape, Wi-Fi facility is on along the Biswa Bangla Sarani .
WBHIDCO has also developed Eco Urban Village along with   water bodies .
Biswa Bangla Convention Centre:
A  huge Convention Centre titled as “Biswa Bangla Convention Centre” has been developed recently which has  added another  valued feather to the city and is scheduled to be opened by Hon’ble Chief Minister, West Bengal  on 13th October, 2017.   A 100 plus room  annexed star hotel is also coming up  in the same campus.
The major features of this Convention Centre are :
A mega Convention Hall with a seating capacity of 3200 people.
2 large Exhibition-cum-Banquet halls with a total carpet area of 9050 sq.ft.
2 small  Exhibition-cum-Banquet halls with a total carpet area of 5110 sq.ft.
Spacious pre-function area in 3 floors having a carpet area of 12500 sq.ft. in each floor.
2 smaller capacity auditoriums  each with a seating capacity of 400 people are coming up.
Extensive Food and beverage facilities during conferences catered through provision of banquet  kitchens and satellite kitchens  at all the levels of conferences.
A Multi-level car parking facility is available.
In the meantime,   already booking enquiries till 2019 are being received and dates are being blocked by various organizations for professional conventions and other uses which is most encouraging.
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My special comments:
This is the only huge auditorium that is located in the sky: the stage / dias is at 17 metre level - at level 4 - supported by stilts. The idea is to make its towering height visible from a long distance.  The shape is like a gem, a diamond, by using 20m projection for the upper gallery. See the logo of the Convention Centre in the picture above. The visual impact is unique and stunning. As if someone is holding aloft a gem in the sky with an outstretched hand.

The space below the elevated auditorium contains a focal atrium that is so beautiful that it has to be experienced. Its shape reminds subtly of a jewel. A grand staircase with subtle white-on-white designs descends to the hollow to the level zero which has 3 banquet halls and art gallery. Two banquet halls have towering heights that add to the awe. A fourth hall is on level 2. The entrance at level two welcomes with a black-on-black granite pattern into a scenario of tungsten bulbed ceiling (modernity) and Bangla handicrafts (culture) on the walls and all around. A conch shell installation welcomes the visitor to the grand  descending staircase.

There is an art gallery at level 0 and exhibition spaces in level 0 and 1 and 4 where the main auditorium is located. 3,200 seats: 2,000 in lower tier, 1,000 on upper. A distance from the last audience so large that the audio electronic circuit has a delay introduced to prevent echo to allow sound waves which travel slow to catch up.

The dais is so large that that the height is equivalent to a three storied house. All wings, backdrops and cyclorama are motor controlled. A building management centre keeps an eye on what's happening through 100 CCTVs.

The top of the 5 level car parking is an elevated podium with green lawns and infinity water pool - infinity because water continuously rolls out of the edge like an unending waterfall.

No wonder, BBCC is getting booking enquiries till 2019. The first convention of 3,000 doctors will take place in November this year. It is an important addition in making Kolkata a preferred M.I.C.E destination.
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