My curiosity about Chennai became a game, a kolam film, and a world I’m still building.

01 / A browser game through Chennai

Madras
Rush.

386 years.
One city that keeps moving.

From surf boat to Metro. Jump through the years, catch the history, or take a slower ride.

Play Madras Rush Discover the game

Free in your browser · Desktop & phone · Sound after Start

Surf boat 1640Tram 1895Bus 1953Metro 2015

The code-drawn Kapaleeshwarar east tower continuing into a kolam

In Madras Rush / Mylapore mode

The tank. The tower.
Your ride, as a kolam.

Fourteen records from Mylapore, with a source behind each one. Ride past the temple tank and Santhome, or choose Explore to stop and read.

At the end, save a kolam of your run. The records you found light up along the line.

Play Mylapore mode How it was made & the sources

02 / A city drawn in kolam

Chennai,
Redrawn.

The city’s neighbourhoods, drawn together as a kolam.

24 seconds · Code & sound

A silent glimpse. Play the film to hear the score.

One prompt, then the work. Read how the film was made.

03 / Reconstructing Madras · c.1700

A world
taking shape.

I’m following old maps and records back to the coast, the fort, and the people who lived around them.

A 3D reconstruction in progress

The fort and coastal settlement in the actual c.1700 world

Above the fort

Recorded in the world I’m building. Choose a view.

Open a snapshot 1: Coast & fort Open a snapshot 2: The settlement Open a snapshot 3: Inside the fort Open a snapshot 4: Rivers & coast Open a snapshot 5: On the beach Open a snapshot 6: Among the palms

Watch the full recording and compare three moments.

From the YouTube channel

Stories from The Madras Project

Chennai's history, drawn as one kolam line | சென்னை

Behind the work

What looking
closer changes.

Read the project letter

01 / In the world

Watching changed the test.

The walk looked fine in a still. Then the man turned around.

02 / How it began

A city is never one thing.

A portrait became a question about the coast.

03 / In the record

The date on the page.

July in the dated copy. August in the editor’s explanation.

MadrasRush.

The tank. The tower.Your ride, as a kolam.

Chennai,Redrawn.

A worldtaking shape.

How people reached old Madras (1670s) | The Madras Project

Many places became one Chennai | சென்னை

386 years of Chennai as a one-button game | Madras Rush