BLR Design Centre on Church Street has quietly been taking shape as something of an urban laboratory in the form of the Mod Foundation  — and now the space has evolved into something that is both usable and interactive.

Mod Foundation, founded by architect Naresh Narasimhan, began mapping the processes behind Bangalore’s rapid urbanisation — studying how water, infrastructure, heritage, architecture, and design interact to shape the city. Today, those efforts have found a home at the BLR Design Centre.

The Centre’s mission is to make citizens more aware of the challenges facing Bangalore, using events and exhibits as tools for engagement. “BLR Design Centre was born from the belief that our city is its own classroom — that every street, every corner has something to teach,” Narasimhan told Explocity.

He added, “We aim to make our urban environment comprehensible, observable, and understandable, transforming public conversations into lasting change. THE Centre is a space where design, culture, research, and memory collide — through exhibitions, workshops, and storytelling that equip citizens to shape their city, not just live in it.”

Inside, the Centre features BLR Reads (a library), BLR Eats (a space for food events), and BLR Meets (for discussions and gatherings), along with hot-desking and event facilities — all designed with modern amenities and flexibility in mind. Significantly, there is an auditorium with excellent acoustics — which we recently encountered during a lecture by Ramjee Chandran on Bangalore history — that rocks a generously expansive feel with high ceilings and an uninterrupted sweep to the view.

In keeping with its goal of being “Bangalore’s classroom about Bangalore,” the Centre also offers 3D immersive exhibitions. One such experience, Walk On Bangalore, lets visitors “walk through” the city’s streets as a projector maps them in real time, allowing people to experience the city from a design perspective. An upcoming immersive experience, Walk On Water, will explore Bangalore’s historic network of tanks and lakes.

Spaces like the BLR Design Centre are indications of the growing urban maturity of a city, as they represent specific slices of the city intellect and, for the public, an opportunity to interact up close with those who matter.

For more information on similar events, visitExplocity’s MyTimesection.