home review april 2016

WHETTINGAPPETITES

ROOSHAD SHROFF’S WHIMSICAL DESIGN FOR LA FOLIE

MADE TO ORDER BY PURPLE BACKYARD

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RS 100 HOME-REVIEW.COMvol 15 issue 04 aPRIL 2016 total pages 140

PRODUCT DESIGNER : JIN KURAMOTO SPECIALIST : ICUSTOMMADEIT.COM

GURJIT SINGH MATHAROO is OUR GUEST EDITOR

INSPIRATIONS & INTERESTS

CREATING A UTOPIAN INDIA

Our concerns for architecture in India

GURJIT SINGH MATHAROO’s 14 Global Favourites

Global design superseding regional design

World trends and innovations Lessons from 3 contemporary masters

Anniversary Issue

ART FORM : JAEHYO LEE

PB Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 21

4 Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 5 4 Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 5

ooshad Shroff revels in challenges. A sticker for details, his work is driven by providing case-specific solutions, re-imagining convention and engaging with the ‘hand-crafted’. The two outposts for the stylish La Folie restaurants underscore his emphasis on clever detailing and providing creative resolutions. The results are not mere superficial overlays, but design interventions that overcome site-specific complexities and deliver a user experience that is far more immersive.

Architect Rustom Kapadia recasts a nearly 100 year old apartment where he celebrates its historical vintage yet ensures it stays relevant to modern living needs. The residence is an interesting mélange of heritage patterns, hardwood floors and antique roofs that are made to contrast with clean white walls and contemporary furniture. The design genius of this remodeling is that not only do the individual elements charm you with their unique character, but the details contrast and play-off each other to generate a novel typology that works as a cohesive whole.

Re-thinking the idea of a (generally boring) office cafeteria, architects Sapna Lakhe and Shwetambari Shinde of Sankraman Design Studio infuse one with a social agenda. The young duo work on a plan that encourages fraternizing and relaxation - breaking away from the stereotype of an office cafe being a place where only food is served. Their design scheme creates an environment that is more about community eating and reading, and interestingly it also enables this corporate lunchroom to double up as a place you can bring your work to.

Anish Bajaj, [email protected]

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Cover StorySubtly maximising the appeal to our senses, two eateries for La Folie in Mumbai designed by Rooshad Shroff are contemporary in their design, with an emphasis on detailing

30

April

Master craftsman, Jaehyo Lee, creates stunning pieces of art using just discarded wood and nails

art form

22

39

AdnD in their trademark style that embodies simple, uncluttered but rich decor have rendered this house such that it speaks of spatial elegance and the home owner’s personality

42

Japanese architect Chiaki Arai works his concrete magic in the Konan Ward Cultural Centre

84With a concept that revolves around a painting, Purple Backyard has changed the definition of luxury from opulent to elegant in the interiors of a 3 BHK residence in Mumbai

72116

Rustom Kapadia has remodelled a nearly 100 year old flat to create a modern living space that celebrates its heritage components

78

Sunil Patil And Associates’s (SPA) design philosophy is steeped in environmental sustainability concerns, an astute sense of functionality and minimalism

90

Bringing you the best in design and innovation for 14 years

50celebrating our 14th anniversary issue with GURJIT SINGH MATHAROO As OUR GUEST EDITOR

68Eclectic styles, varied themes, upcoming trends come together in our newly launched segment!


April

product

designer115

Traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design come together to create a delicate range of furniture and everyday products at the Jin Kuramoto Studio

The Bamboo Wing, Vietnam by Vo Trong Nghia Architects is a cantilever structure that hangs in the air like a set of outstretched bird’s wings

107 GREEN PROJECT

112

137Get your hands on the latest products to hit the market

THE MARKETPLACE

102A DESIGN DESTINATION

PERTH

A multitude of cultures and layers of history have given the old town of Kochi an intriguing mix of influences and monuments

94

Sankraman Design Studio breaks away from the usual to create a fun, energetic space in a company cafeteria, through the use of colours and funky design elements

97

125

By Megha Rawat Theoxenia, a member of Design Hotels™ shines across with a winning combination of three attributes: breezy, contemporary and welcoming to all

132

120

128Tresorie derives its name from ‘trésor’, French for treasure. The store is a means for the discerning customer to find that which holds pride of place in one’s heart and home


Editor & Publisher Anish Bajaj

Creative Director Natalie Pedder-Bajaj

Features EditorMala Bajaj

Assistant EditorShweta Salvi

Senior Sub EditorRehana Hussain

Contributing WritersChryselle D’Silva DiasChristabelle Athaide Devyani JayakarDhanishta ShahHimali KothariK Parvathy MenonShruti Nambiar

DesignersAsif ShayannawarDarshan PalavPooja ModakSnigdha Hodarkar

Shruti Nambiar Freelance Writer and Photographer In 2010, Shruti quit three years of corporate drudgery in Bengaluru to start a career in writing. A little over two years ago, she joined The Indian Express, Pune, as a features writer. Currently based in Pune she is pursuing freelance writing and photography.

Chryselle D’Silva Dias Freelance WriterChryselle D’Silva Dias is a freelance writer and blogger currently based in Goa. She writes about places, people, interiors, books and green issues. Her work has been published in national and international publications including TIME, Marie Claire and The Guardian. Visit her at www.chryselle.net.

12 Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 PB

Vo Trong Nghia Architects A Flight Of Fancy, Page 107.Founded in 2006, Vo Trong Nghia Architects is a leading architectural practice in Vietnam with offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. By experimenting with light, wind and water, and using natural and local materials, Vo Trong Nghia Architects employ a contemporary design vocabulary to explore new ways to create green architecture for the 21st century, whilst maintaining the essence of Asian architectural expression.

Purple BackyardMade To Order, Page 72.Encompassing interior design and interior architecture, Mumbai-based Purple Backyard is headed by Kumpal Vaid. Its focus has been interior quality and detail; playing with natural light, new textures, and working with the finest artisans and vendors to create defining experiences for clients.

Sankraman Design StudioBold And Beautiful, Page 97.Sankraman Design Studio is a team led by Ar. Sapna Lakhe and Ar. Shwetambari SK who are bringing transition to the society through their design approach. Empanelled with various government organisations, they play a role as creative catalysts to the urban growth by moulding and reshaping the context of various tier cities.

Editorial & Marketing

MumbaiMr. Rakesh Kini (Head - Marketing)Mr. Ganesh Gurav, Mr. Vivek Jadhav,B-62, Cotton Exchange bldg., Cotton Green, Mumbai 400 033T 022 23736133 / 23736131 / 23743069E [email protected]

DelhiMs. Sumita PrakashFlat F 304, Rajasthan C.G.H.S. Ltd,Plot No. 36, Sector 4, Dwarka, New Delhi 110075Tel 09899179540, Email: [email protected]

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KolkataMr. Subrata Mazumder2, Nabapalli (Bidhanpalli). Kolkata 700084Tel 033 2410 4296 Mob 9831131395 Telefax 033 2410 7605Email: [email protected]

Publishing Director Mr. R.I. BajajDistributed in India by India Book House Pvt. Ltd. 412, Tulsiani Chambers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021.

This issue has a total of 140 pages comprising of a 4 page cover and 136 inside pages.

We welcome unsolicited material but do not take responsibility for the same. Letters are welcome but subject to editing. All rights reserved. Nothing may beprinted in whole or part without written permission of the publisher. The editors do their best to verify the information published but do not take responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. All objections, disputes, differences, claims and proceedings are subject to Mumbai Jurisdiction.

Editor Mr. Anish Bajaj. Published and Printed by Mr. Anish Bajaj on behalf of the owner Marvel Infomedia Pvt. Ltd, B-62, Cotton Exchange bldg, Cotton Green, Mumbai 400 033.


emails + feedback

Let us know what you love and hate about this issue. Mail us at [email protected]

Initiating The New

Breaking conventions and going beyond the regular is what FADD Studio is known for. I have been following their work for some time now and appreciate their efforts in bringing a refreshing and heady mix to the existing crop of work that’s being done in India.

Ishita KakkarBy Email

A Spin On Knock! Knock!

Great coverage of Knock On Wood. India is a land with an amassing of talents in various fields. The work that these guys are doing shows the breadth of skills that we have.

Paresh Parmar By Email An Iranian Flavour

Architect Clement DeSylva and his team have lent the perfect Iranian vibe to the SodaBottleOpenerWala restaurant. The coverage of this spectacular eatery is riveting.

Anushka BhandariMumbai

The Beauty Of Shangrila

Shangri-La has been designed marvellously and keeps the design-hungry traveller asking for more. I liked the way Home Review has featured it.

ZohanBy Email

E V E N T SPAST & FUTURE


Launched with a one-of-its-kind concept, The Luxury Festival in New Delhi is an exhibition focused on showcasing luxury brands and services from a range of luxury categories such as automobiles, fashion, luxury living, gadgets, lifestyle and be-spoke travel.

1 TO 3 APRThe Luxury Festival, New Delhi

1 TO 3 APRPlumbing & Sanitaryware India, Chennai

Piramal Realty and Piramal Art Foundation hosted ‘The Open Studio Day of Art Residency’ at Piramal Vaikunth, a natural and holistic residential complex at Balkum, Thane. On this Open Day, the resident artists of the program exhibited the artworks created by them during the three-week residency program on various mediums such as wood, canvas, paper, etc. This is one of the many initiatives that Piramal Group has been taking forward to celebrate and encourage art and culture in the city.

Each Art Residency is organized around a particular theme drawn from art, history, science, literature or social studies and consists of four studio rooms where six artists can work for a period of 3-4 weeks. The residency includes opportunities for artists to interact with peers as well as seniors in the field through presentations and gallery visits. Prominent artists like Nikhil Chopra, Dilip Ranade, Sudhir Patwardhan, etc. to name a few mentored this art residency program.

The Open Studio Day Of Art Residency, Thane, Mumbai

31 MAR

Plumbing & Sanitaryware India is the region’s premier trade show focused on the plumbing and sanitary ware industry and allied products. It was a three-day event held at the Chennai Trade Centre. Plumbing & Sanitaryware India 2016 is a meeting ground for manufacturers, importers, traders, distributors, contractors and end- users in the plumbing and sanitary ware industry.

Launching new products and latest technologies are the highlights of Plumbing & Sanitaryware India 2016. Exhibitors from India and abroad displayed their products and around 10,000 trade visitors visited the trade show.

This event showcases products like bath tubs, bathroom fixtures, building automation systems, ceramics, drainage solutions, faucets, fire fighting systems, hardware fittings, hot water systems, paints, pipes and joints, pipes and fittings, power tools, pumps, rain water harvesting, sanitary fixtures, sanitary wares, sealants, sewage treatment plants, shower channels, shower enclosures, solar heating systems, swimming pool systems, valves, water filtration plants, water purification, water sprinklers, water storage systems, water treatment plants, etc. in the building construction, manufacturing, fabrication, repair and maintenance industries.

www.psiexpo.com

The three-day exhibition is jointly organised by Quintessentially Lifestyle Services India and GroupM (a WPP Company) with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the trade partner. It gave the chance to experience the craftsmanship and detailing close up and engage meaningfully with decision makers and influencers from the world of luxury. The Festival also saw the launch of ‘Council of Designers’ under the aegis of CII.

All participants are leaders in their respective fields, building superior design qualities and always striving for the ultimate perfection. Some of the leading names involved were Fendi Casa, Meridian Audio, Steinway audio, Versace Home, M & K sound speakers. Amit Dutta, Managing Director of Quintessentially Lifestyle India Pvt. Ltd. says, “A dramatic change is underway around the lifestyle aspirations of affluent Indians.”

“The new mindset is influenced by growing self-confidence, expanding consumerism, and increased spending power, greater access to international affluent lifestyle goods and services and sheer desire,” he says. The Luxury Festival presents a unique platform for participating brands, along with opportunities to network with key decision makers and influencers in India.

www.theluxuryfestival.com

The residency is open to artists working in the various disciplines of visual art as well as to writers and curators who can contribute to the dialogue and energy of the residency. Vaishnavi Ramnathan who is a critic, is writing about the artwork and the artists. The Piramal Art Residency has been founded on the principle of creating an inclusive space where artists from different regions and disciplines can interact with each other and exchange ideas.

www.piramalartfoundation.com

E V E N T SPAST & FUTURE


Launch Of The Egg Art Studio,New Delhi

9 APR

IIA National Awards for Excellence in Architecture 2015, Calicut

8 AND 9 APR

IArchitect@Work, Luxembourg

13 AND 14 APR

Salone Internazionale Del Mobile, Italy

12 TO 17 APR

The 55th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, the platform for innovation and location of choice for networking and business will be held at the Milan Fairgrounds, Rho. There are going to be three collateral events dedicated to the concepts of living, classic furnishing and architectural finishing respectively, as well as a short film signed by Matteo Garrone.

The Egg Art Studio, is the latest art gallery to hit the capital that promotes young and upcoming artists from India and around the world. The Egg, as the name suggests, acts as an incubator where emerging artists are mentored and nurtured to their full potential, and their works are developed and curated in

The IIA National Awards for Excellence in Architecture 2015 acknowledges excellence and creativity in the field of architecture and design. It’s a two-day event in Calicut and will see the attendance of over 1,000 delegates comprising architects and urban planners, from across the country. The awards will be held along with CROSSROADS 2016, hosted by the IIA Calicut Centre.

The awards will be adjudged in categories of residential projects (individual villas and housing), commercial projects, institutional projects, interior architecture, infrastructure & industrial projects, urban design & master planning, conservation and adaptive re-use projects, landscape projects, architecture unbuilt and research studies. Out of the 500 entries, 61 projects have been shortlisted which will be presented live at this event.

Leading architects of the fraternity will be present at the event including Brinda Somayya, Sanjay Mohe, Christopher Clarles Beninger, Shimul Javeri Kadri and many more.

www.iiaawards.com www.atcrossroads.in

Architect@Work Luxembourg is taking place on 13 and 14 April in Luxexpo and is organised with the active support of OAI (The Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers). Architect@Work is centred around architecture and water.

“The international editions in 2015, including the successful first fairs in Copenhagen and Vienna, all confirmed it: the concept launched in 2015, configured on the basis of the stand concept designed by Creative Fo(u)r, keeps on charming the visitors,” Group Exhibition Manager Nathalie Sandra says. “The results from the various surveys confirm every time that both exhibitors as well as visitors very much appreciate our current approach.”

The various activities at the fair include paperJam Business Club. The materials exhibition of this edition – organised by Materia – is entitled ‘Wonders of Water’. Furthermore the ‘Online Product Directory’ by Archello will be continued and the visitors will be able to discover the photographic exhibition of World-Architects.

www.architectatwork.lu

a way in which they may be exhibited in museums worldwide. Creative visualisation workshops on the finer points of collecting, specialist workshops for children, book launches, wall art and other educational initiatives will be held.

The first public exhibition, titled Genesis: The Veil, is made up of two distinct visual elements. The first is a display of artworks from Maldives, exploring how geography, trade and history can influence visual expression and concepts. The second balances this specific cultural expose with a broader array of Indian and international artists as well as tribal artists from the country.

The selected artists exhibiting include Anoop Kamath, Atul Bakshi, Fanil Pandya, Hojat Amani, Ketan Amin, Raj Lalwani, Venugopal VG, Shijo Jacob, Shampa Sircar Das, among others.

www.galleryegg.com

Over 300,000 operators from more than 160 countries, 2,310 exhibitors and a visiting public of over 30,000 people reaffirms its position as the leading forum for ideas, creativity, innovation and technology for businesses, operators and visitors, showcasing the latest home living styles through advanced design trends.

This year the biennial EuroCucina exhibition and its collateral event FTK (Technology For the Kitchen) are back along with the International Bathroom Exhibition responding to the rising demand for quality in both sectors. EuroCucina will present innovative high quality kitchen products, responding to the steady rise in demand for functionality from increasingly savvy consumers. The International Bathroom Exhibition will showcase totally innovative solutions for personalising the domestic space increasingly dedicated to wellness and self-care.

www.salonemilano.it


Lee is a master at creating abstract art and more often than not that translates into biomorphic pieces.


art form

Text By Arushi ChaudharyPhotographs Courtesy Jaehyo Lee Artist

Master craftsman, Jaehyo Lee, creates stunning pieces of art using nothing else besides discarded wood; occasionally he throws some nails in the mix.

Art With No Concept

What good can come out of discarded pieces of wood and maybe some iron nails? For most of us, the answer would be nothing. But master craftsman Jaehyo Lee uses these very materials to create stunning and sophisticated pieces of art that exemplify a right mix of elegance and grandeur. The South Korean artist works with wood to create incredibly sleek sculptures with abundant attention to detail.

Lee’s unique art form that has wowed audiences across the globe is the result of a meticulous and industrious approach toward his craft - he first collects large chunks of wood in various shapes and sizes, then burns certain portions of them, after which he polishes the surfaces to create a shiny and smooth effect before even commencing to work on the sculpture.

Master craftsman Jaehyo Lee uses discarded pieces of wood and maybe some iron nails to create stunning and sophisticated pieces of art that exemplify a right mix of elegance and grandeur.


When asked to speak about his dexterous approach and commitment to his craft, Lee says, “To be able to create artworks, an artist should first cultivate his sensibilities, just like an athlete prepares his body or a musician increases his lung capacity. I find the strength to pursue this unique art form as it stems from my heart rather than from my hands or brain.”

The charred wood presents a perfect contrast to the earthy wooden hues, as also to the shiny metal nails that are found in abundance in a variety of his works. The charred wood often serves as a base or foundation around which Lee weaves an entire sculpture, sometimes by inserting logs of fresh wood and misshapen nails and steel bolts at other times. Lee works on a broad spectrum of art, using a common technique to create both functional and abstract works; these range from benches, stools and tables to biomorphic pieces.

Explaining the finer nuances behind these intricate creations, he says, “Every piece of art is supposed to be looked at from a certain distance. Artworks made of smaller materials are to be looked at up close whereas those made of voluminous materials such as tree trunks are meant to be seen from farther away. The finishing touch can be different depending on the distance from where the artworks are seen.”

Despite the striking similarity of materials and colours, each of his creations are unique in its own right. “I dislike reading art books or visiting art museums. Right after my graduation, I moved to a suburban area and absorbed myself in creating genuine works. I always try to stick to what I want to create and who I am, while staying in my own world.”

Though his creations are largely woven out of natural elements, Lee is not a big fan of the idea of placing his works in a natural setting. “I don’t like to have flowers near my artworks. Likewise, I am afraid of my works being installed in a forest, because artworks get humbled and insignificant when placed amidst the grandness of nature. That’s why the exhibition halls where my sculptures are displayed are always painted white. The aim is to make them stand out wherever they are installed.”

Charred wood serves as a base or foundation around which Lee weaves an entire sculpture, sometimes by inserting logs of fresh wood and misshapen nails and steel bolts at other times.


Lee’s unique art form that has wowed audiences across the globe is the result of a meticulous and industrious approach.


Lighting and the right illumination, however, play a crucial role in accentuating the beauty of his works. “Sculptures are very different from paintings in terms of their lighting requirements. Light should be shed on a painting evenly, however, sculptures require both light and shade in order to enhance their 3D effect.”

He continues, “The size of a sculpture must be in good harmony with both the space it is installed in and the amount of light it receives. The focus should be on lighting up the entire space instead of highlighting the artwork alone. Besides, I do not like putting lights inside the sculptures as then the focus is compromised.”

Is there a certain concept behind Lee’s works? He answers, “There is no definite concept in my works. Our ancestors have treated silence as an important factor. Contrary to western culture, we have been raised to not talk too much. Words are unnecessary if we can empathise with what we see. If we take the ‘concept’ out of an art, the only thing left is ‘empathy’, and that can be felt by all. In short, the concept of my artworks is to not have any concept. Art should be seen and be experienced by the viewers. There should be no need to explain what the concept behind the artwork is.”

Ask him what drives him towards relentlessly pursuing this rare form of art, and he says it is all about believing and trusting in one’s sensibilities. “I get soaked when it rains, I walk against the wind on windy days, I’m saddened by a sad story, I watch movies that touch my heart, and I look at the night sky to find stars. These down-to-earth routines are the real driving forces of my creations.”

[email protected]

The charred wood presents a perfect contrast to the earthy wooden hues, as also to the shiny metal nails that are found in abundance in a variety of his works.


Lighting plays a crucial role in accentuating the beauty of his works. “Light should be shed on a painting evenly, however, sculptures require both light and shade in order to enhance their 3D effect,” he shares.

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WHETTINGAPPETITES


Subtly maximising the appeal to our senses, these two eateries for La Folie in Mumbai designed by Rooshad Shroff are contemporary in their design, with an emphasis on detailing. The complexity of sights and smells support the main star - the food - as they all come together to create a satisfying gastronomic experience.

Text By Devyani Jayakar Photographs By Taras Taraporvala (La Folie, Palladium); Pawan Manglani (La Folie Lab, Bandra)


“This place is so tiny, that we decided to do away with a façade, because it would mean losing two or three inches of precious space,” says Rooshad Shroff. Suffused with a playful, whimsical design sensibility, this wedge or pizza-slice-shaped space is all of 200 sq ft. Functioning as a patisserie and a takeaway, it is alike a kiosk. Since it is part of a mall, the intention was to draw passers-by in by the dint of its design.

“But while it’s one thing to catch the eye of the casual visitor, it’s another thing to fit everything inside,” says Rooshad. Visually, the design functions on a macro as well as a micro level. It makes an impact from the outside, but once inside, the detailing takes over. The displays of food, the merchandising and branding, all invite closer inspection.

“We wanted to make the experience of consuming a dessert or a chocolate synonymous with getting transported into a parallel universe reminiscent of Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.”

The aim is to create a sense of nostalgia, away from reality, into a playful world. The physical manifestation of this idea is a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster with a clock and gears, synonymous with time.

There are different areas of display, with the wheel being used for a chocolate bar and the detailed carts of the roller coaster being used for truffles, chocolates and other sinful desserts. “We customised every screw and gear, getting pieces laser cut to our specifications, to achieve the level of detailing which we desired,” says Rooshad.


“The chef, Sanjana Patel, delights in introducing the most intricate detailing in the icing, marbling and layering of the pastries…they’re like a work of art. We wanted the design of the store and the furniture to reflect the same attention to detail,” adds Rooshad.

“The micro-detailing has a jewel-like quality. The marble podium on brass stands for the display looks like it has been created for jewellery.”

So while the idea of the roller coaster operates at the macro level, the Ferris wheel has been used to reference a clock, rolling through time. The main seating is at the bar. Apart from the store, Rooshad has also designed the graphics and tin boxes which are part of the new packaging.

“The menu, tissues, name tags for display, aprons…everything that the customer comes into contact with, although it may belong to different fields of design, has been created by us. We’ve worked like a branding agency for this project,” says Rooshad.


The word ‘Lab’ in the name of this outlet, La Folie Lab in Bandra, indicates that the chefs are scientists of sorts, who ‘experiment’ to create new delights for the taste buds.

The entrance is like a terrace garden, with a porch. It has a resin-tiled façade, with exotic ingredients such as Tahitian vanilla pods and candied oranges ‘petrified’ in the resin. “We had to do a great deal of R&D with the vendor to create these 12 inch square resin tiles,” says Rooshad.

Two vertical gardens hold herbs, edible flowers, basil, spinach and rosemary. Micro greens in pots complete the imagery; the scents of the herbs waft through the space and tease the senses.

The bar is like a live kitchen space, where customers can see how their order is being put together, making them aware of the functioning of a kitchen at the same time. There is a focus on fresh produce, ingredients and the act of making itself.

The concept traces the ingredients from the outdoors to

the plate, emphasising the

freshness

of the food

in all

aspects.


Concrete tiles in grey, black and white are laid on the floor in a herringbone pattern, with different concentrations of colour subtly demarcating the spaces within the walls. From dark in the customer area, they progress to a lighter tone in the service area and climb up one wall. The chalkboard is used to disseminate information and often displays the recipe of the month, in addition to being used for doodling.

But there is another little-explored factor at play here. “We’ve experimented with someone who makes perfumes, to create a smell which makes people hungrier. It triggers emotions by gently nudging the mind,” says Rooshad.

To this end, there is a large 7 ft x 2.5 ft diffuser suspended from the ceiling. “Connected to the air-conditioner, it gently wafts a fragrance which manipulates perceptions through smell,” says Rooshad, of this unusual avenue of design.


The aesthetic apart from successfully achieving a balancing act by being clinical and appropriately living up to the ‘Lab’ in the name of the restaurant, is also welcoming at the same time, as every restaurant should necessarily be. “Every space which we design is bespoke, created with elements which are unique to that space,” says Rooshad. “This is where my strength lies.”

[email protected] rooshads.wix.com


The Promise of Chandigarh

Born out of Nehru’s persistent ambition for ‘Modern India’, Chandigarh was meant to foremost be just that: a modern Indian city. Nehru had famously said: “Let this be a new town, symbolic of the freedom of India, unfettered by the traditions of the past, an expression of the nation’s faith in the future.”

The enigmatic Tower of Shadows with the Assembly building in the background.


Venerated as a pedestrian’s paradise, Paris’ urban fabric is luxurious in its people-centricity. While other cities all over the world aspire to emulate the French capital, it is difficult to fathom how the French architect Le Corbusier could design Chandigarh, a city so contrary to his native Parisian scale. Heavily reliant on automobiles and completely averse to walking, does Chandigarh live upto its original vision of a modern city in India? The answer is anything but simple.

As a Union Territory and joint capital for both Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh is unique in its political posture. Upon denouncing colonialism, India needed to develop an image for the new democratic way it had adopted and Le Corbusier’s ideas on the subject are best expressed in Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex.

Unlike most Legislative Assemblies in the country, anyone wishing to see the Capitol Complex, whether Indian or not, need only register on their website and present themselves at the Visitor’s Centre at the appointed time. This much Corbusier’s Chandigarh upholds of an ideal modern world.

Security personnel rather graciously lead the tour but for no fault of theirs, pepper it more with myth and legend than factual accuracy. The tour mainly comprises the High Court, the Assembly and the Secretariat, and just as one stands in the massive plaza appreciating the poised façade of the High Court, one may notice

Looking towards the High Court through the Tower of Shadows.

The Open Hand was first proposed in the early stages of Chandigarh’s inception and was finally realized in 1985. It has become the symbol for Chandigarh.

The Rock Garden’s sculptures are made from recycled materials and resonate a deeply vernacular aesthetic.

A manhole cover in Chandigarh with the city’s famous grid on it.


- as I did - officers’ vehicles zip past at devilishly high speeds - heading blinkered straight towards the building where swift justice beckons them. Ironically enough, our presence in the people’s plaza was already deemed a hazard and while the Indians in our group including myself made our rehearsed customary adjustments to the presented situation, the foreigners simply smirked at the audacity on display.

Furthermore, during the tour, Corbusier’s own art and symbolic gestures in the complex are grossly overlooked depriving those not from the architectural fraternity of any serious reading of the buildings or their genesis. What further stood out was how poorly buildings in the Capitol Complex have aged. Durability must be amongst the critical concerns of architecture as it reflects an institution’s vision for creating a lasting legacy.

To this effect, the Capitol Complex buildings do not fare well. There are very evident signs of wear and the crumbly nature of concrete only exacerbates this further. Although built to strict standards and supervised by the best minds and hands, too many things continue to work against it - the harsh Indian climate, heavy usage, the limited life of reinforced concrete and ultimately half-hearted upkeep.

And as the Capitol Complex’s architectural vocabulary extends itself to the rest of the city, so does the absence of graceful ageing. By contrast, the Mughal or even colonial buildings - of which Chandigarh has none - continue to valiantly endure the test of not just time but also their new masters.On the other hand, it is Nek Chand’s extraordinary Rock Garden that resounds of timeless beauty in Chandigarh. Its labyrinthine experience turns the rigid grid, hierarchy and formal snobbery of the city on its head.

Aftab JaliaAftab Jalia studied architecture at Pune University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is presently pursuing his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.

Painstakingly made with recycled materials to an aesthetic that is anything but Modern, it expresses a deeply vernacular language. And even though the garden appears to be much older than the city itself - almost as if showcasing remnants of another city predating Chandigarh - Nek Chand’s labour of love is a magnificent protest to the compartmentalization that the city’s plan actively seeks.

Nonetheless, to deride Corbusier’s Chandigarh is to undermine the value of invention. What Le Corbusier managed to achieve was a bold departure from a set way of imagining places of people’s power. Chandigarh was therefore an experiment in modern urban planning without any real precedence. Even if we were to gauge it against successful examples of traditional planning, the latter have had a considerably greater number of years to back their success. Chandigarh has several lessons to offer: some of which we must imbibe and some which we must dismiss.

Corbusier’s architecture may not have aged well and may well be afflicted with accelerated deterioration but Chandigarh is still a young city - its own resilience and metamorphosis from Corbusier’s design to one that is emblematic of a Modern India is yet to be seen.

Nek Chand’s surreal garden built from discarded materials aspires to showcase remnants of another Chandigarh.

Nek Chand’s Rock Garden discards Chandigarh’s grid and creates a timeless setting.


A confluence of aesthetics – the sombre stately appeal of wood meets a diagonal bar-coded pattern in a calm and smooth decor. The unusual illusion and sharp contrast within the rooms creates an interesting space.


Text By K Parvathy Menon Photographs By Sebastian Zachariah

AdnD in their trademark style that embodies simple, uncluttered, minimal, but rich decor have rendered this house such that it speaks not just of spatial elegance but also of the home owner’s personality.

EAST MEETS WEST


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“East meets West” - that is how architects Shobhan Kothari and Anand Menon describe the concept behind AVS residence, an apartment where deep sombre wooden elements take centre stage. Principal duo at Mumbai based design firm Atelier dnD, has always believed in ‘decoding various trends of architecture that reflect the times we live in’. Their constant endeavour to juxtapose the current architectural language with the history of the past is visible in this 3500 sq ft space also.

The home’s modern layout includes a foyer space, an open plan that accommodates the living and dining areas, two bedrooms and a media room that also doubles up as a guest room. Throughout the space, the luxurious warmth of wooden surfaces emanates and works as a unifying element in the modern aesthetic.

“The client brief, apart from the usual also had to incorporate their cultural influences and experiences in the form of art and artefacts. We blended them into a modern western shell, and this juxtaposing of polar worlds resulted in an interesting brief for the project,” explains architect Shobhan Kothari to us.

Choosing a neutral colour scheme as the basic palette helped the designers establish a more harmonious flow throughout the apartment. Wood is the dominant material in the palette and all the spaces seem to take their cue from there. The designer duo cites ‘the warm aura’ as one of the main reasons of using wood in various expressions throughout the house.

Without altering the original interior plan of the house, the designer pair gave each space its unique identity by simply tweaking and enhancing the room separators. A large rectangular space has been neatly split into two pockets – the living area and the dining area, with a cantilevered bar console donning the role of a separator.

Architect Anand Menon further expounds, “We made a special niche atop the unit to accommodate the family heirloom. This unit also not only defines circulation, but also creates two pockets.”

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The first space to welcome us is the living room, where the designers clad the wall in wood, highlighting the vertical lines, and thus lending a modern tone to the space. This wood clad wall also becomes a perfect backdrop for the rich ivory furnishing and artefacts, both old and new, like the Eames chair and a vintage pedestal fan.


The adjacent dining area is approached much more casually, with a grand chandelier which is a modern interpretation of cylindrical pipes and designed in conjunction with Klove studio, becoming the focus. The collector’s brass mask collection becomes a part of the uncluttered, minimal design where a perfect synergy happens between the neutral colours, wooden furniture and vintage art.

As we move into the house, the stately formal appeal ebbs, to be replaced by a decor that compliments the spatial functions of each room. In the media room, the design team has combined the regal look of wood with playful stripes of black and white to give an unusual visual illusion. One half of the room seems to be washed in diagonal bar code patterns of black and white, that drape the walls, upholstery and carpets while the other half, in bold contrast, sits sombre in large expanses of wood clad walls, bookshelves and a media console.

In the master bedroom, the design reflects the client’s personality, keeping in mind the book lover and the art collector facets of the client. The sedate appearance reinforced with wood clad walls and a neutral colour scheme is further enhanced by the lighting plan – soft ceiling spot lights and edge lighting which not only define the spaces but also shed an enthralling dull yellow glow.

Aesthetics take a youthful flare in the son’s room, complete in white and concrete and devoid of wood, while the minimal trendy furniture speaks of gen-next and the decor embodies the spirit of youth. Surprisingly, of all the spaces, the AdnD team claims the powder bathroom as one of their favourite areas in the entire house. Designers Shobhan Kothari and Anand Menon explain, “The space was very compact, hence the play of material as well as design was the key factor here.”

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In the AVS residence, the AdnD team have not just found a niche for each one of a collector’s myriad treasures, but also created a space that celebrates everyday elegance at every corner. Through a simple but rich material palette, neutral colour scheme and simplicity in decor, the designers have found the perfect symbiotic relationship that eulogises the home as an entity rather than separate spatial units.

[email protected] [email protected] www.dnd.in

Designer Anand Menon points out how ‘aesthetics in the son’s room embodies the spirit of youth; completely in white and concrete and devoid of any wood.’

White spaces and concrete surfaces are complimented by trendy furniture and accessories that speak of gen-next.

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Home Review has been providing engaging content for design professionals and aesthetically inclined individuals since the past 14 years. We have reached here only because of our readers and supporters.

In our design-centric journey, we have seen Home Review become a leading design journal in the country tracking the best in design, material and innovation. We have been spotlighting budding talent while showcasing path breaking work by eminent architects in India and internationally.

For our 14th Anniversary issue, we have Gurjit Singh Matharoo, the principal at Matharoo Associates on-board to be the Guest Editor and curate a special segment of topics.

Matharoo Associates emphasise on functionality and exercise a restraint when designing and use natural exposed materials where sunlight becomes the only embellishment as it varies and changes. The firm engages in structural design, architecture, master-planning and product and automobile design and perceives all design disciplines as one, to remove boundaries and work with a fully combined approach.

In the following section, we learn what drives Mr. Matharoo and the inspirations he has received from contemporary architects. He presents his visions on building a socially and culturally developed nation and the methods to introduce traditional values in a modern context.

This anniversary issue, curated by Mr. Matharoo is a comprehensive take on the various aspects of architecture and the best practices that would shape the future of architecture.

www.matharooassociates.com

54Global design superseding regional design

56Lessons from 3 contemporary masters

53Creating a utopian India

For our 14th Anniversary issue, we have Gurjit Singh Matharoo, the principal at Matharoo Associates on-board to be the Guest Editor and curate a special segment of topics.

Co-Editor: Gurjit Singh Matharoo, assisted by Trisha Patel


58Inspirations and interests

60World trends and innovations

6414 Global Favourites

62Our concerns for architecture in India


We are blessed to be a part of Ahmedabad, where families such as the Sarabhais and Lalbhais were big patrons of both art and architecture that are the hallmarks of a society more evolved, and allowing the city to become a factory of new ideas. Louis Kahn, Le Corbusier, Buckminster Fuller, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames have all designed buildings in Ahmedabad, not to mention the Indian stalwarts like Achyut Kanvinde, B.V. Doshi and Charles Correa.

However, there is a strong resistance to promoting architecture today. Clients approach an architect if they see work that is built and also good. For it to be both, he must be selected in the first place. For one to be selected, one should have done works of similar nature and scale before. So it is a Catch-22 situation. It is time we overcome this paradoxical system for selection of architects, at least in large urban scale projects.

Today there are opportunities like never before. Major changes took place during our formative years, when India abandoned the socialist shroud and opened up the economy. The change from manual to a computerised society, one channel to multichannel, and cellphone, highways, metros and airports rapidly developed, and I cannot recollect another two decades where so much has happened.

The economic surge has created a lot of potential for architects today, and we would like art and design to become sole drivers for future growth and not speculative development governed by constraints of limited space, time, money and PMC. With the soaring level of accessibility and exposure, we are at the same platform as other countries and so in whatever we do our aspirations must not be local but global.

We present Mr. Matharoo’s visions and aspirations for devising a design for a socially and culturally developed nation.

Creating a utopian india


1. The primary health care centre by Flying Elephant Studio, Bangalore consists of high thematic social content coupled with vernacular, that discards the obvious to arrive at a stunning innovative solution.

2. The Raas at the foot of the Jodhpur fort is a boutique hotel that sets the perfect dialogue between the old and new. It fuses age old crafts with modern technology, making both extraordinary in the process.

3. Abha Narain Lambah’s conservation works that involves public as stakeholders, is a mammoth task that she has been able to undertake and persistently accomplish. Her deftness in the subject is exemplary, and perhaps most needed in today’s urban crisis.

Photo Credit: Flying Elephant Studio

Photo Credit: Studio Lotus + Praxis

Photo Credit: Abha Narain LambahPhoto Credit: Abha Narain Lambah

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Like the hybrid car is the most polluting vehicle, cotton the worst eco-friendly choice amongst fabrics and agriculture, the most destructive activity on earth, current ideas on sustainability may be completely warped and required to be looked at afresh.

Warm wood from forests is annihilated, bricks bear the legacy of a million years of topsoil being shoveled and stone is excavated from hills blown apart – all in the name of ‘natural’ and ‘eco-friendly’ material. Instead, our study shows that while performing the dual function of structure and enclosure, concrete fares much better because of its high endurance, lower embodied energy, minimum real estate and low cost, at least in our country. Besides, specification of fair finish concrete leads to a higher built quality and low maintenance, by default.

We believe that these factors play a far more important role while designing, more so in a labour intensive country such as ours. Besides, it is imperative to find alternative methods of dealing with the harsh climate, and shielding the building from the tropical sun and rain.

We try to utilise custom designed and locally fabricated hardware, and offer solutions within limited budgets. The design approach is not based on trends but on something more fundamental - the need to create emotional environments tailor-made for clients and the context.

In the quest to tick all the boxes in global design emulation, sometimes the core principles of local design are lost in translation. Gurjit Singh Matharoo spots the alternate way to circumvent this shift.

Global desiGn supersedinG reGional desiGn

1. Our design for a house in Inner Mangolia, China for ORDOS 100 using low cost Earth Tube Heat Exhanger to warm the building from -25’ temperatures.

2. Pool - Matharoo Associates’ new studio in Ahmedabad is our take on sustainable architecture - a concrete shell and enveloped by thin steel sheets.

3. Combining the four factors of high endurance, low embodied energy, low volume occupied and low cost - our unchallenged research finds that concrete fares much better than steel, stone, brick and earth.

Photo Credit: Matharoo Associates

Photo Credit: Bharat Aggarwal


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Also, economy of means does not translate to economy of thought. ‘House With Balls’ was built at the meagre budget of Rs.700/sq.ft. (in today’s value) - quite low compared to some of our other residential projects. However it has in no way affected the design interpretation of the client’s needs or the character of the end product. Besides being awarded the International Best One-off House in the World in 2010, it has now been chosen for the Venice Architecture Biennale ‘Reporting from the Front’ this year.

We design without the burden of consciously thinking if it is culturally or socially correct, whether it belongs to a certain body of work or not, and whether it is ‘Indian’. Free of this burden, probably something that is rooted will emerge on its own. Traditional Indian architecture is a sourcebook and always possible to emulate. Anything busy or ornate is associated with being traditional and anything finished or box-like, passed off as contemporary. We are fighting both ends, trying to get traditional values percolated in a modern vocabulary.


4. House With Balls that got us the International Award for the Best One-off House in the World 2010 by Architectural Review, and now been chosen to be showcased at the Venice Bienalle this year, for its appropriateness to context.

5. Prathama Blood Centre, the largest in the country uses extremely thin 125mm concrete walls to ward off the sun and create a sculpturous exterior.

6. Surrounded by high rise building on all its sides, an internal courtyard in ‘House with the Warped Court’ provides privacy and relief from raucous of the city.


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MIES VAN DER ROHEMaster architect Mies Van Der Rohe has been my greatest inspiration. My visit to his Barcelona Pavilion, built in 1929 and reconstructed again in 1985, was a pilgrimage of sorts. On each one of my four days in Barcelona, I would go and sit inside this overwhelming, exposed and endlessly enclosed pavilion. Every time that the four walls, eight columns, flat roof and two waters combine, they create a continuum of ever-changing experience. The polished stone reflects the glass, which is itself transparent, so as to look out to other stone walls or the waters. I could die here, and both the world and I would be at peace.

The man behind the most profound statements such as ‘God is in the details’ and ‘less is more, was also the only male invited to be the member of an All Womens’ Club in Chicago - we take a bow!

We take a glimpse into the work of three contemporary architects that deeply inspire Gurjit Singh Matharoo.

Lessons from 3 contemporary masters

Photographs For Representation Purposes Only



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LE CORBUSIERI’m a product of a school that imbibes the basic tenets of Le Corbusier. Moreover, there are four projects built by him in Ahmedabad - a city which we have grown up in - so it is hard not to be inspired. Architecture at our studio is a fallout of his principles, which I think are best suited to our culture and place - low cost, rough and labour intensive, filled with both reason and emotion. His forms are not only protected from, but come alive with the harsh tropical sun playing on them.

His La Tourette in France has changed the way I look at buildings. It was hard to appreciate the building from just images and drawings, and on visit, even found that corners were unresolved and the structural system, haywire. All the rules that we are taught, are broken here, and yet everything is in perfect harmony and resonates with the nature outside. Inside the overwhelming crypt - the sanctum sanctorum, one realises that this is the most primordial space that architects aspire to achieve in their lifetime, as their ultimate pursuit in architecture.

GIUSEPPE TERRAGNIGiuseppe Terragni was an architect I find most poetic and most profound, who died at a young age of 39. Even after serving in the World War for four years of his short life and having his studio bombed, was blatant enough to put up the Casa Del Fascio stoically in front of the historic Duomo, the main church of Como. And he could do this in Italy - a country that didn’t allow Corbusier to build his hospital even 30 years later!

The Casa Del Fascio was way ahead of its time even when it was built in the 1930s. Way before cubism took roots, it was beautifully composed in a rectangular box, its openings articulated differently on all of its sides, to react to their immediate context, creating lightness and delight. His unrealized project for the Danteum is the epitome of architectural symbolism and heightened experience, turning geometric spaces in a narrative labyrinth.


1. Gurjit’s sketch of Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion.

2. Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion offers a continuum of ever-changing experience.

3. Corbusier’s La Tourette Monastery is a conglomerate of various shapes, sizes and textures that float over the land passing below.

4. The crypt at La Tourette with its concrete surfaces lit up in subdued light, is an amalgamation of intangibles that can only be experienced, not described.

5. Terragni’s Casa Del Fascio’s bold, clean lines and asymmetrical composition, contrast drastically from its context.

6. Poetry constructed as space - the glass columns at Terragni’s Danteum.

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1. Pursuing automobile design as a hobby with local mechanics.

2. Study tour with students at Bundi.

3. Aspiring to return to the good old days of trekking in the Himalayas.

AUTOMOBILESWhile growing up in Ajmer, my father’s BSA500 Twin motorcycle was the pride of the place! Those were the days one had to wait years before they could own a scooter. My brother and I watched him dismantle and reconstruct it together numerous times, while we accompanied him by cleaning it, passing him the tools and generally hanging around.

By observing him, I developed this interest in machines that I am able to pursue as a hobby today. My brother became very good with his hands, while working on the bike. I became good at drawing, which lead to making models, which finally lead to the designing of actual motorcycles, cars and vans.

Both architecture and automobile design are exercises dealing with economy of structure in pursuit of beauty. One involves a tight fit of parts, the other with assembling functional areas together; one deals with the symphony of moving parts, the other in the creation of spaces that move you.

They are different but complementary, and I can do things with mechanical design that I don’t necessarily have to do with my buildings. It is interesting to note that the Hindu God for automobiles and buildings is the same - Vishwakarma.

NATURE There is a constant urge to travel to wonders created by nature, and my favourites include Lonar, Grand Canyon, Waitomo Caves, Yellowstone and Pachmarhi. Until some years ago, we trekked in the Himalayas every year.

Besides helping shed three kilos of weight, it is nature that humbles you no end, and an entire year can be survived on this nostalgia alone.

Inspirations can be as subjective as various styles of architecture. Here are Gurjit Singh Matharoo’s ideas that interest and influence him.

InspIratIons and Interests



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TEACHINGAfter a short stint in Switzerland post my graduation, I have been a regular visiting faculty with my alma mater, CEPT in Ahmedabad. Teaching has become integral to my routine and the best hours of my day are spent with students. Like in practice, I follow a hands on approach with them.

For one studio exercise, to get the students motivated, we asked them to cast their design alternatives in chocolate, and while the chosen one would be preserved, the rest could be gobbled up, minimum requirement being that they should be digestible. Being miniature and precious, students skillfully crafted the alternate designs, merrily eliminating the unwanted ones on the way. If nothing else, they all learnt how to make chocolate!

In sports, you are first taught to hit hardest, and precision comes in only later. We believe that madder the ideas, the better they are - without having to be result oriented. With my recent appointment as Design Chair at CEPT, there is a possibility of sharing this philosophy with other members of the faculty. Our challenge is to create a space that respects and promotes the unique approach of individual faculty members, and also students as individuals.

Besides my involvement at CEPT, our studio has initiated the Pan India Travel Studio (PITStudio) - a rigorous month long workshop with design exercises in four diverse locations across the country, where participants travel to their mentor’s chosen place of work, to be a part of their context and methodology.



Centres are finally shifting and beautiful work is happening all around the world. The countries that are not labelled ‘first world’ are doing work that is sensitive to human occupation, emotionally charged and addressing regional concerns. The massive upward trend in architecture is in terms of quality of design, experiments with materials and unconventional approach to problems. The world is slowly shedding its inhibitions with the best possible results.

1. SPANISH ARCHITECT ENSAMBLE STUDIOEnsamble studio of Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa, combine the romance of rustic and structural waste. Structure is not treated merely as ways of dealing with gravity, but instead to define architecture without disguise. They are able to utilise their acute structural wizardry into beautiful amalgamations that involve immense courage and a high degree of difficulty.

Their project for the SGAE office, Spain is a beautiful composition using stones that are randomly piled up as a load bearing structure, and become stable only when the slab rests over it. It contrasts wonderfully with the thin articulated walls made of used CDs on the other side, accentuated by warm light that filters through. The resulting space has a duality - unnerving and yet calm, at the same time.

Here are the trends and technological advancements that will shape the future of architecture, according to Mr. Matharoo.

World trends and innovations


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1. Ensamble studio displays an acute structural wizardry using infrastructural waste at the Hemeroscopium house.

2. The randomly stacked stone wall at Ensamble’s SGAE office that only becomes stable under the weight of the slab cast above.

3. Ishigami’s non-restrictive forest of random columns that blend seamlessly with the exterior.

4. Ishigami’s 3mm paper thin table that levels out with its own weight, testing the upper limits of material, structure and mind.

5. B 018 - the underground discotheque that has been built by Khoury on the site of a massacre.

6. Khoury’s POW 08 - the beautiful, yet dark and macabre apparatus that represents the hopelessness of war.

2. LEBANESE ARCHITECT BERNARD KHOURYLebanese architect Bernard Khoury, takes a stand that architecture needn’t necessarily be found in large projects such as museums, institutions and opera houses. This is proved through his extremely dynamic work even in spaces like restaurants and health spas where he has been able to create poetry using his deftness in mechanical systems and acute understanding of context.

His project for a discothèque that stands in the site of a massacre, haunted me for several years. It takes a while to understand how firmly it is rooted in its politically charged and war torn environment. With a roof that opens up completely, the building serves to be more of a dramatic installation that is intended to transform the trauma of the war. Instead of shunning Beirut’s social conditions, he embraces them and exaggerates them dramatically into work that is intelligent, satirical and dark.

3. JAPANESE ARCHITECT JUNYA ISHIGAMI Japanese architect Junya Ishigami tests the limits of structure and material, to make the impossible possible. His ‘Architecture as Air’ installation for the 2010 Venice Biennale, has columns so thin that they are barely visible to the eye. He also literally bends over backwards in his ‘table’ project, a 9m long piece of pre-stressed steel, that is a mere 3mm thick. His work trespasses the boundaries of physics, art and architecture. Although apparently simple, it is rich and derived from a complex creative process.

His idea of architecture being ‘fundamentally transparent’ is gathered in trying to arrive at design solutions for the Kaito workshop in Kanagawa. The ‘forest’ of over 300 columns are placed randomly through the 30x30m area to be of non-restrictive quality, and allowing space to be created by the users on an open plan. It enables a sense of flexibility, and efficiently blurs boundaries between internal spaces, as well as on the outside.


Photo Credit: Bernard Khoury

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1. SUCCULENT THIGHS, JUICY BREASTS, GREAT LEGSBefore it descends into something scandalous, we’re only talking about the sign board on a chicken shop. Now it’s become a typical character of our cities where spaces scream for attention; one louder than the other.

Our take: Instead of participating in this one-upmanship, we consciously create spaces that are subdued in their context, and form cocoons away from the hustle-bustle of the city.

2. HOLY COWSIt is said that India is a country of followers, and as long as one is following the other, no questions are asked and everybody is content. Perhaps the same holds true for its architecture - leaving little scope for innovation or wit. Architecture that tries to question the norm faces acute resistance in our society.

Our take: To inject projects with a potent dose of wit, so buildings are not sterile, but fun to be in. They add a degree of playfulness in an otherwise monotonous environment.

3. SWEET BOXES Often buildings are dressed in unnecessary ornamentation that is not suited to our times. Covered by flashy coating makes them unnatural - disconnecting them from the self as well as the surroundings.

Our take: We work with our internal philosophy of ‘when in doubt, reduce; when not in doubt, surely reduce’. We try to follow an austere approach where the only embellishment is light falling on materials we use in their natural form - much like carvings do to a temple.

Matharoo Associates picks out their concerns for architecture in India today with a witty style.

Our cOncerns fOr Architecture in indiA

1. The corridor at the ‘House with the Warped Court’ brings in light, water and green while shunning the city and the heat.

2. The Curtain Door that won us the Emerging Architecture Award in 2009 consists of 40 logs of wood sewn together. Akin to a homecoming, the intimidating in size, yet intimate threshold embraces inhabitants in a warm welcome.

3. Based on the Jain tenets of austerity and precision, the Dharmasala set in stone is composed of massive walls in local stone masonry.


Photo Credit: Dinesh Mehta


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4. BOTOXED SETBuildings are literally only skin deep, and where curiosity and interest ends with the special ‘facade’, while the structural frames and the walls remain anonymous within.

Our take: There are intangible factors in a building, and there are questions of whether you are psychologically comfortable or enjoy being in it. There is an inner urge to make buildings that elate one from a normal level of existence to a higher being. We try to create buildings with a high emotive content, that are meant to be discovered; unfolding around one’s body as one moves through them, revealing their secrets and meanings; over time and over spatial layers.

5. TURQUOISE BUILDINGThe typical LEED rated building in the country gathers heat first and then tries to cool it off, in the process spending more to get ‘gold and platinum points’ that are often not suited to our context.

Our take: Sustainably is taking green and adding a little blue for open mindedness, so environmentalism goes hand in hand with science - a green turquoise approach to architecture. It is an approach where building technologies are appropriated by the means afforded by a developing country. We hope that with this, a new Indian architecture will emerge, as aping the West or the past is not a solution.

For us, economic sustainability is as essential a future consideration of architecture as the environmental dimension. Architecture for us, serves to be a catalyst - without itself being consumed, enhancing the relationship between man and nature - both, nature within us and the nature outside of us.




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4. With layers of net for insects, blinds for light and glass for air-conditioning, the house can completely close or remain open to nature on all its sides. The dictionary meaning of ‘net’ is ‘clear of all else, subject to no further deductions.’

5. Meant for the poorest of the poor, this ESIC hospital at Bapunagar, uses a system of preset locally fabricated aluminum louvers that allow view of the garden while cutting of the sun and the rain. The amount saved in air-conditioning is instead used to create a large public garden on site.


1. CONCRETE Kalidasa, the 4th century poet, in one of his poems compared a thigh of a young woman to the trunk of a banana tree. We like to assume that had there been concrete in those days, he wouldn’t need the banana! More than any other material, concrete can be bent, curved, warped and textured into any desired shape in the hands of its sculptor, replete with myriad meanings woven into it.

2. LUIGI SNOZZI His concrete buildings embrace nature like no other, while remaining strict and severe acts of human intervention. It was a Swiss friend of mine in school who sketched out a plan of one of his buildings (those were pre Google days!) and I immediately decided to train under him in Switzerland. Being junior most when I worked with his assistant Michele Arnaboldi, I made coffee, bought stationary and drew toilet tiles! However, it was this model of an architectural studio and kind of architecture that I imbibed and maintain even today.

3. ROBERT MAILLART The Swiss civil engineer built numerous bridges in the Alps, which are works of art. One can see their delicate size in pictures, but it is impossible to not be awestruck by the sweeping beauty in their slenderness, when seen in person. They were perhaps difficult to construct and could be afforded only by the Swiss, but it awakens the idea of how little material is required when it is used optimally for structures.

4. CARLO SCARPA Scarpa understood what the crafts of Italy stood for, and collaborated with artisans, jewellers and stone masons to craft some of the most exquisite details in architecture. Used with vines, water and light, his articulation of various metals, concrete, wood, stone and ceramics is absolute and his commitment to provocative detailing remains unsurpassed.

Architect Gurjit Singh Matharoo highlights his top 14 favourite buildings, materials and concepts around the globe.

14 Global Favourites

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5. RANI ROOPMATI’S PAVILIONOn a moonlit night, through a narrow winding staircase set inside the walls, we emerged at the top of this simple, but precariously balanced pavilion. With the ridge of the hill as its fulcrum, the windy terrace hovers over the shimmering Narmada valley, 1200 feet below on one end and the lush Mandu valley on the other; Subtle and strong, this is the place where Roopmati waited years for Baz Bahadur to return.

6. CASA MALAPARTEThe earth seemingly moved underneath my feet when I caught the first glimpse of the house in Capri from top - like a blood red leech on wet rock - completely occupying a small outcrop that juts out from the main island. Its widening stair rises up into the sky distorting all perspectives - real and metaphysical, and terminates on an empty terrace with a curving white wall, as if hiding something behind. Set against the deafening sound of waves crashing into the rocky undercroft below, it is a moment of timeless suspension and an existence out of the ordinary that makes you feel so alive that you wonder if you really are.

7. GOLCONDE ASHRAMGolconde Ashram designed by Antony Raymonds, is a textbook that can teach what an entire course in architecture cannot. Never before have we seen a building so functional, so appropriate to the climate and so soulful in spirit. 65 years later, the custom designed louvers can be operated effortlessly and the open plumbing has never been replaced. The wooden door panels, the stone flooring, the concrete structure - everything has stayed intact. Together they speak volumes of what devotion can produce, while creating a place for silence and contemplation.

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5Photo Credit: Matharoo Associates




8. TAKTSANG MONASTERY Midway through a solo trek to the lakes in Bhutan, I met a Danish monk who stayed in the most beautiful 700 year old monastery hanging atop a 3000 ft cliff. Its two structures are connected with a small pathway, and come rain or snow, hail or winds, it always remains open to the vagaries of nature. On this causeway, with nothing but the clouds passing below, one feels like a God, sitting over the beautiful creation that is Paro.

9. TA PROHM TEMPLEThe Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia lay in ruins for over 500 years, and became home to the trees within. The masonry and roots are so entwined, that it is hard to tell which came first. The ASI has been given charge to ‘clean up’ these temples, and their conservation method with blatant apathy to the existing structure and landscape is worrisome. Nature induced erosion should be welcome, and one must visit these beautiful and unique structures before they are revamped and made ‘new’.

10. NAZCA LINESWhile research is being carried out to unearth the purpose of the Nazca lines in Peru, for me, it is art on a gigantic scale and a feat of humankind. What it is that drives people to build such lasting mammoth imprints that they will probably never see complete in their lives?

Closer home, we have the Kailasa Temple - an extraordinary feat of mind and endurance. To look at a piece of ground and decide to carve down 10 floors of rock to leave a magnificent temple behind is unimaginable.

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11. BIRD IN SPACE,CONSTANTIN BRANCUSIEver since I saw it, I have been mesmerised with this sculpture. There was an extreme rigour in getting to this shape, and the result is monolithic, simple and most sensuous. With its minimal shape, it beautifully encapsulates the essence of the aspiration of a bird just about to take flight.

12. B3 CHAIR, MARCEL BREUER By bending a simple pipe meticulously, Marcel Breuer could achieve resilience and grace is an otherwise inert material. The body comes in contact with only the leather hung from this skeletal steelwork, and gives the thin light chair, the comfort of a plush sofa.

13. JOHN BRITTEN The maverick designer died at a young age, but not before he single handedly created the race winning motorcycle. Even though he was from New Zealand - a country with no biking history, he was able to use innovative ideas that put established global companies to shame. His ideas of using structure and engine as an integrated system, is the source of courage and inspiration for our automobiles and buildings alike.

14. SUNITI NAMJOSHIThough she often writes for children, I often reread stories from ‘The Fabulous Feminist’ in between work hours. With satire so sublime and deep, she never fails to put a smile on your face. Short and potent, they are always the best stress relievers. The stories involving the blue donkey and Saint Suniti are my favourite.

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MANTRA FURNISHINGS

The showroom of Mantra Furnishings was located in a commercial area of Surat, where other major soft furnishings were also available. The challenge to the architects, DesignCore was to make the already renowned name of their client stand out amongst the crowd. The client desired an industrial look and wanted a warm, welcoming ambience for the customers to be at ease while browsing the store.

The store also had two new brands to launch, but both had contrasting product lines; one was a pure rugs and carpets manufacturer while the other was into home decor and accessories. To include both the brands on the same floor, the design team went ahead with a rustic look to maintain the identity of the new brands as well as compliment their range of products.

Wood and exposed bricks have been used as primary materials to give a distressed look and enhance the display of curtains, tapestry, wallpaper and the wooden flooring. A lounge cum discussion area is designed to be separated from the other areas through metallic chains. The discussion area has been planned as a focal point to follow the function of products display. Wood was again used for the framework of the sofas and chairs and furnished with products from the client’s wide variety of furnishings.

www.designcore.co.in

Text Compiled By Rehana Hussain

Intelligent design need not be restricted to mammoth-sized spaces. Sometimes even a small idea can lead to stunning, brilliant themes in the designing of interiors.

Design Mixology


Tucked in the quaint locales of Jaipur, Style n Scissors is a fusion of art deco details with traditional influences

accentuated by pop art style. Infusing the vibrancy of

Rajasthan into a modern setting, the salon is designed as an

experience by Interior & Product Designer Shantanu Garg.

A pop colour palette combined with Mughal era elements like defined

arches and pillars, cutwork mirrors and an indoor porch style lobby mould the decor into a style that is contemporary.

The interiors represent a transition of art deco and modern styles into multiple

planes placed in levels to create a sense of depth and massing.

The furniture and colour of the walls change between neutral and pop accents. While

bright shades of turquoise and fuchsia keep the space lively and dramatic, the alternate setting with tall plants and natural light is reminiscent

of Mughal gardens. All spaces are designed using custom made furniture and intricate details involving the use of vibrant colours, rustic finishes

and baroque and art deco styles of furniture.

The salon is bifurcated and designed in three floors with designated services on each floor. The ground floor caters to hair styling and treatments; the first

floor has bridal stations, spa suites and waxing rooms while the second floor includes manicure/pedicure

rooms and private mini salons.

www.facebook.com/shantanugargdesign

STYLE N SCISSORS

Design MixologyEvery month, Design Mixology - our latest entrée

in the design arena will spotlight innovative design in various domains such as showrooms, bars, clinics, spas and salons and much more.


THE FATTY BAO

A different Asian dining and bar experience arrived in Bandra, Mumbai with The Fatty Bao. The interiors were done by Anshu Arora, while Ayeshe Sadr and Ishaan Dasgupta of 211 Studio have splattered the walls with art.

The patio has a tiny bar and dining space that is overhung with lights that remind one of giant, droopy succulent red flowers and a food story map. The interior space sports tangram-inspired patterned floor and plump furniture with enough natural light from the large glass windows to make for an invigorating lunch hour or a fun night.

The paintings focus on the beautiful ceramics and kitchen implements weaving them into the topography along with motifs. Arches frame almost all private dining spaces, creating cosy nooks, yet maintaining a visual connect with the main space.

Seating options are varied; from plump couches with dancing praying mantis lights above to a curated section of Asian-style art and graphics, some of which are created by artist Bianca Ballantyne. Each table has a set of Channapatna Kokeshi dolls in the form of a cruet set to greet you. These are handcrafted by Varnam in Channapatna, Karnataka.

All you need to do is downloadthe free ‘Magzter app.

Apple users can download Magzter from the App Store.’

Android users can download Magzter from Android Market.

Try it out today.

Home ReviewNow on Apple and Android

Devices


MADE TO ORDER

With a concept that revolves around a painting, Purple Backyard has changed the definition of luxury from opulent, grand and extravagant to muted, minimal and elegant in the interiors of a 3 BHK residence in Bandra, Mumbai.

Text By Priti KalraPhotographs By Biju Gopal

Founded by Kumpal Vaid, a graduate from Rachna Sansad School of Interior Design in Mumbai, Purple Backyard’s approach since its inception five years ago is driven by aesthetics and a keen attention to detail. Their innovative and eclectic design ideas play with natural light and new textures. Working with the finest artisans and vendors, the firm strives to reinterpret luxury and create refreshing experiences for brands and spaces of varying scales.

“With all our projects, we have one key objective - bespoke,” says Kumpal, when asked to throw light on her design ideology. “Whether it is the side of the bed you wake up on or the feel of a texture that exudes elegance, our meticulous attention to detail creates a completely bespoke design that is both practical and luxurious while emphasising on the atmosphere you want to achieve.”

She has specialised in Visual Merchandising and Styling at UAL - Central Saint Martins, London. Her love for travel and her childlike fascination for the stories that each new place tells her are the foundation of her detail-oriented mindset. For the interiors of the 1500 sq ft apartment, the client put forth an intriguing brief to the designer - a painting that she had inherited from her father. Taking cues from the soothing and not very flashy colour scheme of the artwork, the client sought an understated feeling of luxury.


For the dining table, Pinakin custom designed a table top in back-painted glass which rests firmly on finely carved marble legs.


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The plan of the residence did not require any major structural changes or alterations to the layout. The only intervention from the designer’s end was a multi-utility space - a den - which would act as the client’s study, home office, entertainment area and an extended guest bedroom.

The team at Purple Backyard takes time out to understand each client’s lifestyle “ensuring that every job is tailor-made to suit their needs.” In keeping with the theme of minimalist luxury, the firm opted to experiment with textures and tones rather than with too many colours.

“The idea was to let the painting be the hero,” says Kumpal. Since the painting did not have too many bold colours, the material palette consisted of beige, taupe and cream tones and textures. The blue pinstripe sofa, a very outdoorsy and country style piece from Abaca, introduces a pop of colour into the living room. A few splashes of colour creep their way into the design in the form of maroon bathroom tiles, and lime green cushion covers and curtains.

A combination of sourced and custom-made pieces forms the collection of furniture that was selected for the residence. The white shelving unit in the den, in which a refrigerator neatly tucks itself in, was built on site. Kumpal’s team worked hand in hand with RBY (Red, Blue and Yellow), a company that specialises in furniture design, to craft the sofa cum bed in the den.

Another furniture store, Pinakin, customised the dining table to fit the overall scheme of the design. The table top made in back-painted glass firmly rests on finely carved marble legs. Beautifully upholstered chairs were sourced from the same store. The brass inlay bar unit is from Transforme and the oval canopy bed is from RBY. The single chairs and ottomans have also been tailor-made to size by RBY.

The sober mood board becomes the backdrop to key focal elements in the design, such as the revered painting and the sofa from Abaca. Additionally, suspended light fittings above the dining table and in the den manage to draw due attention to themselves.

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An abstract pattern of gold leaves strewn across a light grey setting highlights an accent wall in the dining room. The remaining walls, eggshell white in colour, sit at well-finished ninety degree angles to the stark white ceiling. Cove lighting has been tastefully introduced along the periphery of the living and dining rooms, and in few instances, in the bedrooms.

With a vision to maintain a certain level of perfection and to guarantee sustainable methods of doing so, Purple Backyard is constantly seeking new ways to achieve “understated luxury with a twist of rawness.” Their design for this residence in Bandra is a fine example of inspiring work in the realm of interior design - a piece that will remain “timeless in the times to come.”

[email protected] www.purplebackyard.com


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The oval canopy bed, custom designed by Red Blue and Yellow, boasts of innovative details – neatly integrated lamp shades and a sleek reinterpretation of a headboard.


The owner wanted the spaces to be large and yet cosy enough for him to enjoy his home without rattling in it.


Text By Arushi Chaudhary Photographs By Anil Wankhede

HERITAGE NURTURED

Mumbai-based designer Rustom Kapadia has remodelled a nearly 100 year old flat to create a modern living space that celebrates its heritage components.

Mumbai-based architect and interior designer Rustom Kapadia, who has a degree in design from the Pratt Institute New York, has set up shop in the city with an objective to go beyond the tried-and-tested design concepts and breathe an air of freshness into his creations. His most recent project that involved remodelling an old flat reflects his signature approach of fusing functionality with aesthetics to create an impressive living space.

The challenge ahead of Kapadia was quite real. The flat was dark and dingy, and gave a sense of clutter with too many rooms, passages, and other architectural features running across its length and breadth. Kapadia was assigned the task of transforming it into an airy, spacious space with a lot of ventilation. The challenge was further compounded by the fact that the flat had heritage floor tiles and a wooden roof, both of which needed to be restored for the sake of their sheer exquisiteness.

With that objective in mind, Kapadia took on the task of transforming a traditional family home into a modern dwelling without meddling with the integrity of its antique components.


Explaining his approach and understanding of the project, Kapadia says, “This particular apartment was built at the turn of the century for families consisting of two to three generations - grandparents, parents and children, with no air conditioning and common bathrooms. There were also internal passages leading to private living quarters and a common living space. At this point in time modern design concepts like Art Deco and Art Nuevo had begun challenging older classical concepts and these flats, though they were traditional in nature were designed for a more contemporary way of life.”

“Today with the advent of new technology, it is imperative to keep in mind modern standards of living while redesigning such a space. The study of interior architecture is the study of historic spaces and the implementation of modern contemporary design and how these two can be amalgamated. The unity of these two aspects allows one to experience the design as a whole, rather than seeing it as a collection of elements.”

With this design philosophy to fall back on, Kapadia and his team took on the task of re-structuring the flat, and started by first removing redundant doorways, passages, and partitions in order to give the space a complete make-over. The space thus generated was conveniently broken down into a master bedroom, a large den or study, one guest room, two bathrooms, including one with a walk-in closet, an open kitchen, a living room with enclosed balcony and a utility area. All this was done keeping in mind the factors of natural light and ventilation in mind. Next came the task of furnishing this re-modelled home.

“All parts of the design must relate so well as to create a unit in which ideally nothing can be added, taken away, or altered without changing the totality. Matching or coordinated patterns, closely related colours, and stylistic consistency all lead to harmony and unity, but they also carry the threat of monotony, as in the room in which everything matches everything else in an obsessive way, variety and contrast can relieve monotony, giving the eye a number of different shapes, textures, colours or details to look at,” Kapadia explains.

The look of the space was further enhanced by maintaining its heritage integrity through the use of antique wooden window frames throughout the house.

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One important consideration for the interiors was to tastefully showcase the owner’s grand art collection. The owner’s eclectic art collection was distributed across the flat in a way that it added an artistic flavour to the interiors and at the same time reflected the owner’s taste and sensibilities. The look of the space was further enhanced by maintaining its heritage integrity through the use of antique wooden window frames throughout the house.

In order to make these spaces stand out and make the area look spacious, it was essential to furnish it with modern furniture and accessories, keeping the decor minimalistic. To achieve this, Kapadia relied heavily on the concept of creating a contrast through abundant use of whites and using hardwood in combination with leather finishes.

“Contrast heightens values through comparison. The selection of white and wood highlights the beautiful patterns of the existing heritage tiles,” he says, adding that the highlight of his design concept was that there were several equally important focal points to emphasise upon.

“We have created not one but several focal points in this flat – the heritage patterns, the roofing systems, clean white walls with focus on art, several openings to enhance light and airiness and contemporary furniture. All these elements not only stand out individually but also work well in tandem with one another to unify the entire design concept.”

[email protected]

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THE WASHBOWL – A TIMELESS CLASSIC

The Duravit Washbowl is a design statement and also an attractive alternative when compared to conventional washbasins.

Duravit washbowls come in a vast variety of forms and variants. They can be combined with consoles made of many different materials such as wood, glass or natural stone as well as matching Duravit consoles and vanity units.

There has never been a washbowl quite like Cape Cod. With Cape Cod, Philippe Starck and Duravit have reinvented the bathroom as a place of rejuvenation for the mind, body and soul. Cape Cod features elegant, fine edges that measure only 5 mm in thickness. Made possible by the innovative DuraCeram® material, it provides outstanding elegance without compromising quality, robustness or ease of care.

Advertorial

Working with Matteo Thun & Partners, Duravit came up with DuraStyle, a compact, smart, complete bathroom programme that is compelling on the strength of its visual lightness and simplicity of form. The narrow, elegant rim around the washbowl and the tapered outer edge that neatly slopes inward are characteristic of DuraStyle.

Duravit’s PuraVida washbowl by Phoenix Design makes minimalism approachable by giving it a delicate, feminine touch and graceful appearance, while exquisiteness can be delightfully experienced with the clean-cut designs of the Happy D.2 range of washbowl.

Duravit partners with leading designers such as Philippe Starck, sieger design, Phoenix Design, Kurt Merki Jr.,Matteo Thun & Partners and has won multiple Red Dot, IF Design and Design Center Stuttgart awards among many other global design recognitions.

tel: 079 66112300 [email protected] www.duravit.in www.pro.duravit.in

Happy D.2 PuraVida

Cape Cod Vero Cape Cod

DuraStyle

Starck 2


CONCRETE RULES

Japanese architect Chiaki Arai works his concrete magic in the Konan Ward Cultural Centre where the program has been created in collaboration with the surrounding community. The interiors boast of multi-axial planes that are flexible and also give a unique perspective to the visitor.

Text By K Parvathy Menon Photographs By Sergio Pirrone, Taisuke Ogawa, Kouichi Satake, Shinkenchiku-sha Co. Ltd.

One of Louis Kahn’s last apprentices, Japanese architect Chiaki Arai’s love for concrete and his expertise in using this building material is creatively expressed in the Konan Ward Cultural Centre. This project assembles four different programs – library, museum, community centre and a multipurpose theatre, on a single platform with a circular corridor connecting all of them.


The light bands define the curves while the 7000 circles on the surfaces act as sound diffusers, sound absorbers or lights. The colour and material palette has been derived from the rice fields, a familiar landscape around Konan Ward.


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Konan Ward was a new district created from several smaller surrounding towns and municipal consolidations. Chiaki Arai believes in ‘topophilia’ or the love of a place, but the dilemma that arose in Konan Ward Cultural Centre was ‘how do you create topophilia when the place was not even on the map a few years ago?’

After much deliberation, the solution was found in numerous workshops with residents, through which the design team understood the true needs of the ward residents and also nurtured the feeling of participation and love for the Centre, amongst them. The workshop gave many insights to the surroundings and the design team incorporated the comments, critiques and suggestions of the people into the design.

For example, Architect Chiaki Arai’s design response to the comment that ‘Konan Ward had only rice crackers and rice wine to offer’, was to give the theatre a colour palette that evoked a feeling of ‘rice fields full of paddy’. Similarly, the team was inspired to shuffle the museum building’s layout to bring the old farm tools collection to a prominent position, since many of the volunteers mentioned its importance.

Arai conceived the centre as four different zones, with a complex geometric volume of concrete, arranged around a cruciform circulation route, termed as the ‘Cross Streets’, and each program opening separately to the ‘street’. Inside, the architect has employed a revolutionary 3-dimensional technology in the use of concrete, with the surfaces pleating and twisting to give 3-D planes that penetrate through tight spaces, giving a unique spatial experience to the traversing people.

As we walk through the corridors, the tilted walls embedded with an array of LEDs, remind us of sci-fi movies featuring intergalactic spaces. Architect Chiaki Arai tells us, “The spaces were developed in the workshops in conjunction with the locals, hence the designs are based on somaesthetic experiences (sensory aesthetics), human scales and the usability of rooms.”

The rear end of the centre which also has the theatre stage door.

Concrete in its Spartan simplicity underlines the structural geometry and scale while at the same time lends the requisite minimalistic appeal.


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For optimum natural lighting and communication in different spaces according to their individual functional requirement, the multi-axial concrete planes are interspersed with glazed walls in many places.

Apart from the unexpected perspectives offered due to the 3-D planes of the concrete surfaces, another feature that gives the cultural centre a distinctive appeal are the circular skylights. The concrete ceiling is littered with round skylights that constantly play a game of shadow and light in the interior surfaces. Says Arai, “The rising concrete polygon structure is not merely an expression, but a distributor of natural light and air as well.”

Internal planning has focused on maximum usability and flexibility of spaces. By installing sliding walls, the designers have provided options to maximise or limit the room size as required. The design team points out, “It is not a consistent space, but an inconsistent space”.

The individual rooms like the music room, practice room, etc. have been organised as vertically nested structures. The gap remaining between these room ceilings and the skylights on the main roof fill the Cross Street with soft light that seems to aesthetically emphasise the team’s theory of ‘inconsistent space’.

But by far, the most striking space in the centre is the 400 seat multipurpose hall, where the design concept is ‘the golden ears of rice’, a notion derived from the surrounding agrarian society, whose main crop is rice. Inside, the mostly white space has a series of light bands resembling the ripe golden ears of rice extending from the stage to seats, defining the curving walls and ceiling. 7000 random circles speckle the side walls and function as either sound diffusers, sound absorbers or lighting elements.

Curtains and seats are also a derivative of the rice fields, a familiar landscape around Konan Ward. The material and colour palette of yellow-green seats, brown teak floorboards, and undulating white walls was chosen to invoke the feeling of abundant rice fields. The team further explains to us, “Another feature of the Hall is the configurable depth of the stage. We designed the stage acoustic reflector system.”

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The huge art pieces emphasise the height of the structure, and augment the furniture designed by Philippe Starck.


Concrete in its Spartan simplicity underlines the structural geometry and scale while at the same time lending the requisite minimalistic appeal. Form, structure, function and eventually aesthetics come together in a perfect symphony in the clever architectural execution of Architect Chiaki Arai at the Konan Ward Cultural Centre. The architecture has easily become a loved landmark, ‘by the people, for the people’ in the newly formed Konan Ward.

[email protected] www.chiaki-arai.com

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Sunil Patil And Associates (SPA) has a design philosophy steeped in environmental sustainability concerns.An astute sense of functionality and minimalism, add to the firm’s distinct approach to architecture.

SPA was founded in 1994 and is based in Pune and Kolhapur. “SPA has completed more than 325 projects ranging from individual houses to large townships, from shopping malls to huge commercial complexes and corporate offices,” the team states. The firm’s signature approach to design is ‘contemporary vernacular architecture’ that aims to combine the good of the traditional and the modern, with a hefty dose of environment sustainability.

Of the following three projects, The Circuit House in Pune is the most complex in terms of ideation and functionality. The success of the team’s design here is in having managed to not induce acute culture shock by clipping nostalgia to good effect, instead of plucking it out completely. The team manages to bring great nuance in the design language of the government building, along with a fantastic veneer of sleek décor. Right at the outset, a troika of inspirations was lined up - the climate, the site and time. “Here is an attempt to calibrate the architectural style of government buildings with the time - contemporary vernacular architecture,” attests the team.

The team added a healthy dose of passive traits to this project to make it friendly to Pune’s mostly-temperate weather.

But even as government buildings go, Circuit Houses are slightly tricky. They are built to accommodate VIP and VVIP guests, so they need to incorporate hospitality features like cosy suites and prim dining sections. But there also need to be ample spaces for work, meetings and large gatherings.

“The occupancy in this building can vary. With VVIP ministers coming into the premises, occupancy can reach up to 100%,” states the team. The Pune VVIP Circuit House makes space for the CM and DCM suite, 18 ‘Class I’ suites and


Text by Shruti NambiarPhotographs Courtesy The Architect

15 ‘Class II’ suites; also included in the building are a 100-person dining area, a conference room, and service sections like laundry, pantries, and more.

The suites are equipped with VRV air-conditioning, as well as openable windows with overhangs to encourage the use of natural and diffused sunlight, as well as natural ventilation.

Efficient water fixtures cut expenses by 50%, and an on-site sewage treatment plant provides for the landscape irrigation needs, trimming the water demand by 48%. “The project is designed as a green building and has received a 5-star GRIHA rating,” states the team.

The 52.81% building EPI reduction of the Circuit House has been aided by a 22kW solar photo-voltaic array that supports over 30% of the artificial lighting, and a heat pump that caters to 90% of the hot water demand.

The décor is peppered with jaali motifs, and 225 pieces of art produced by 30 local painters, sculptors, muralists and wall artists who worked under the umbrella theme of ‘Care for Earth and Nature’.

AAC blocks on the walls, recycled ceramic tiles flooring, roof insulation and double glazed glass that regulate heat gain and loss, exposed concrete, FSC-certified wood base materials, and low-VOC materials further reinforce the project’s green credentials.

The Fratelli Wines project in Akluj in Maharashtra, is a natural extension of the sensory experience that wine-tasting and buying has become.


“The soul of this building is the intricately designed spaces which interact with each other in such a manner that a visitor to the building can feel the process of wine making. One can enjoy viewing the vineyards and the workshop from a single point in a wine tasting lounge,” the design team confirms.

SPA added their signature sustainability features, and positioned a strong beam on timelessness and economy of construction. “This project was completed within a very stipulated budget, i.e. Rs. 850/sq. ft. This was made possible by fast construction techniques, low-cost natural materials and most importantly, reuse of materials from the site itself,” states the team.

The landscaping of the project had to be a critical microclimate element as well as a visual attraction. The basement excavation resulted in the soil that became ‘the mound’ here, providing natural ground cooling for the RCC-framed admin block, as well as making the drive in beautiful.

The guest houses feature green roofs and all around, only indigenous trees have been planted.

“This project is cost-effective not only in terms of construction cost but also in terms of running cost; being naturally ventilated, the non-air conditioned building with good lighting helps keep the running cost much lower,”the team adds.


As is SPA’s modus operandi, in the Fusion House too the courtyard has been made to be the unifying factor, while also a visual masterpiece.

A placid, blue-tiled water body borders a small pebble-encrusted deck-like space here, which is flanked by the living room on one side, and is separated from the staircase on the other side by multi-floor high railings that together look like giant micro-chip tendons.

But the highlight here is the two-storey vertical garden, which seems to be benignly overlooking the entire house. Turbo ventilators here also enable natural air-flow. But the best part? There is one more courtyard, connected to the puja room. “Both pour light into the linear-planned home. The third skylight is at the wall mural which continues from the ground to the first floor. These three sources of natural light keep the home naturally-lit,” states the team.

The Stataurio-floored, sparsely-decorated and roomy public spaces have an easy flow scheme, with their slick surfaces aglow with all the abundant natural light. “The design of the bungalow is based on our design philosophy - contemporary vernacular architecture. It incorporates vernacular ethos and features like courtyards, stone masonry in a highly contemporary style. The contemporary stone work along with metal pergolas and white masses creates an extremely humble composition,” states the team.

[email protected] www.architectsunilpatil.com


Situated within the lush Malabar Coast of Western India, the historic town of Kochi has been a site for trade and commerce since millennia. Records point to the region having flourishing trade links with the Phoenicians, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

Consequent to the trade, the region attracted settlers from around the world, including the Chinese, Arabs, Syrians and Jews.

Kochi TexturesTEXT AND PHOTOS BY KUNAL BHATIA

[email protected]

From the 16th century onwards, a trio of colonial powers - beginning from the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and concluding with the English - established trading outposts and controlled lands in connivance with the Kings of Cochin.

This multitude of cultures and layers of history have given the old town of Kochi an intriguing mix of influences and monuments that range from Chinese fishing nets, the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth Nations, one of the only eight basilicas of India and historic palaces belonging to the various ruling powers.

A booming tourism industry and the well-attended Kochi-Muziris Biennale during which the city hosts numerous art and cultural events have added to the old town’s mix of colours, textures and urban fragments. In this photo-essay are a series of images that capture the essence of historic Kochi through some bits that are old and others new, some that are vibrant and others that are decaying.


Text By K Parvathy Menon Photographs Courtesy The Architects

The young designer duo at Sankraman Design Studio breaks away from the usual to create a fun, energetic space in a company cafeteria, through the use of colours and funky design elements.

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

“The key features are the custom designed tables and seating which are arranged organically and break up the space to avoid monotony,” says architect Sapna Lakhe.


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98 Home Review April 2016


The word ‘cafeteria’ may bring to mind something mundane and colourless, but Sankraman Design Studio take a completely different design route in the case of Si-Cafe, a cafeteria for the company Sicom Limited, located at one of the corporate parks in Mumbai. Instead of creating the ‘global design’ corporate culture usually advocates, this young designer duo has created a fun space that redefines the word ‘cafeteria’.

Principals at Mumbai based Sankraman Design Studio, architects Sapna Lakhe and Shwetambari Shinde have always believed in bringing in a transition in society through their designs. According to them, ‘their expertise lies in treating every design opportunity as a personal endeavour and envisioning a distinctive and an innovative perspective right from concept development to the execution of the project.’

This zeal is clearly seen in the 3500 sq ft space designed and executed by Sankraman Design Studio, where colours and funky design elements take centre stage. Tells us architect Sapna Lakhe, “The company was situated in a corporate park and the space had major constraints of light and volume. So a strategic colour palette with minimum floor coverage became one of the most important aspects to be considered while designing the space.”

Reworking the definition of ‘cafeteria’, the pair conceptualised the space not as a lunchroom, but as a social arena encouraging the joy of fraternising and relaxation. “The design brief looks at the office cafeteria, not as a space serving a sole function, but one which brings about community eating, reading and working,” explains architect Shwetambari Shinde to us.

When we enter the cafeteria, a nondescript signboard hanging from the wall announces our arrival into the Si-Cafe. We are welcomed by a large space predominantly in a neutral white palette, where the colours on selective walls and surfaces add the oomph to the design. A smaller spatial scale is visually given a larger appearance thanks to the light and airy design scheme. Rather than a regular table and chair arrangement, the tables and seating follow an organic pattern that eclectically mixes chairs and benches.

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Emphasising the food counter is its tiled surface and yellow niches scooped out in the counter.

According to the designers, “the custom designed tables and seating are one of the key features of the design.” The seating is a long table in right-angle patterns that creates niches for small and large groups at the same time. Such an arrangement succeeds in breaking up the space and avoiding the monotony associated with many of the cafeteria patterns.

Emphasising the food counter is its tiled surface and yellow niches scooped out in the counter. The same yellow finds its way as a part of the striped pattern on one of the walls, further breaking the monotony whilst creating continuity in the aesthetics. Interesting is how the team has made the exposed service pipes on the wall a part of the design by fixing shelves between the gaps.

According to the designers, “the custom designed tables and seating are one of the key features of the design.”


Wooden counter tops, tables and benches also take on a lighter tone similar to the light colour palette found in the cafe. By choosing thus, the designers have not just veered our attention from the spatial constraint, but also assisted the illumination planning in making the space seem lively and refreshing, in spite of the minimal natural lighting.

A corner space in the floor plan which could have otherwise become secluded is converted into a cosy spot, with upholstered seating and an open library. As an aesthetic continuity, the team has brought in the yellow shade from the main hall into this space through the sofas and ceiling light fixtures. To give this space its distinctly separate identity the designers have painted the walls and ceilings bright blue. This colour coding adds the excitement and quirkiness, the designers aspired for in the cafe.

Another interesting design element is the various artworks that speckle the walls. The Sankraman team points out, “The quirky artwork and an open library with different colour tones bind the space together in spite of different functions to cater.”

Architects Sapna Lakhe and Shwetambari Shinde have turned a space that traditionally dons the sole role of a lunchroom into something more exciting and enriching. Constraints like spatial scale and limited natural light seem to disappear in the bold colours and off-the-wall aesthetics of the cafeteria. The youthful spirit of Sankraman Design Studio echoes within the walls of Si-Cafe in its best and most creative avatar.

[email protected]

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102 Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 103102 Home Review April 2016 Home Review April 2016 103

WHEREPerth, the capital of Western Australia, is also the largest city of this state. While it is modern and vibrant and boasts of a desirable lifestyle, it has a veritable history dating back to 1829 when the Aboriginal Australians started settling here. Perth is set on the Swan River and is Australia’s only capital city on the Indian Ocean.

PER THDESIGNDESTINATION


WHENPerth is the fourth wettest Australian capital city. It receives seasonal rainfall. Summers (December to March) are hot and dry while winters are mild and wet. One can expect short thunderstorms in summer as well. The best time to visit would be end of August to about end of March.

WHY Perth is not only the administrative centre for business and government but also a popular tourist hub. There is a lot to see and experience - sunny beaches, green parks, skyscrapers, museums and plenty of tourist attractions along the city centre, Swan river and coast. The pulsating art and culture scene, architectural marvels, retail experiences and sport facilities make this hidden gem a local must discover!

PER TH


However, the 74 rooms are cosy and warm, replete with an old world charm. Categorised size-wise, they are compact and highly functional. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light to pour in uninhibited. If the rooms offer a cosy personal retreat, the well designed communal spaces add to the experience as well. The lower lobby level is open to public while the upper level has a club lounge for guests.

Elsewhere in the hotel are reading nooks, an outdoor deck area, a bar, breakfast table and to top it all, a great rooftop terrace offering a stunning panoramic view. The black and white Shadow Wine Bar offers delicious food and its open plan kitchen sets it apart.

LET’S CALL ALEX!

The Alex Hotel gives out a warm, casual and chic vibe, just like its name. It is tucked away in the Northbridge neighbourhood amidst cafés, bars, restaurants, shops and cultural establishments.

The monochromatic face gives way to an elegant interior. The entrance laneway is lined with bicycles for rent. The lobby is warm and welcoming and has an informal look. There is a tinge of industrial influence in the exposed ceilings and use of black and grey tones on walls.


MINTING GLORY

The Perth Mint is undoubtedly one of the leading tourist attractions. The nation’s oldest operating mint is housed in one of the country’s most elegant 19th century buildings. This structure is a marvel in itself and is made of limestone.

In addition, the heavily secured vault and the original Melting House (where one can still see a live gold pouring performance) are structures of interest. The 19th century brick walls of the Melting House are literally implanted with gold dust, thanks to decades of continuous refining. A monumental masterpiece indeed!

THE FRIENDLY VIBE

Friend’s Restaurant by the Swan river serves extremely sophisticated food in a space that is a nod to old fashioned décor. Beautifully carpeted floors set the base for an elegant display of old-style wooden furniture, wine shelves and floral arrangements.

The charmingly done up area naturally capitalises on the fantastic views of the river. Huge French windows allow a glimpse onto the Swan river banks and the glorious sights on it. The food presentation is fantastic and the taste divine!


LIQUID ARCHITECTURE

The Water Labyrinth by Jeppe Hein is an interactive water sculpture, created exclusively for Forrest Place, a historic pedestrian square, by the internationally renowned artist. This is Hein’s first permanent artwork in Australia.

Fountains are very common sights all over the world, but this labyrinth gives an architectural element to it. It shoots jets of chlorinated water into the air, creating nine rooms that disappear as quickly as they emerge.

Text By Dhanishta Shah

GOOD OLD MILL

It is always great to see buildings that take you back in time. The Old Mill is located on Mill Point in South Perth. It was built in 1835. This classic whitewashed structure harbours an industrial colonial touch. It also houses some interesting colonial artefacts.

It has been built with extremely thick stone walls, which impart the structure the strength of a fortress. Renovations included the addition of a veranda and alterations of the roof. It has been restored to its former glory and is one of Perth’s best known historic landmarks, serving as a sightseeing attraction.


GREEN PROJECT

A Flight Of Fancy

If there is one thing Vo Trong Nghia Architects has a knack for, it is creating streamlined, sustainable and altogether surreal structures in bamboo which stand in perfect harmony amidst their natural surroundings.

The vastly extensive column-free space can be used for different purposes such as wedding parties, live music concerts, fashion shows, conferences and other ceremonies.

Text By Priti KalraPhotographs By Hiroyuki Oki, Courtesy Vo Trong Nghia Architects


Located an hour away from Hanoi, Vietnam in the Vinh Phuc province, the Flamingo Dailai Resort is a residential retreat which finds itself situated in an “idyllic natural setting” – as the architects would like to call it. The clients had a clear vision. They envisaged a place where city dwellers could come to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

The idea was to create a space where people could enjoy their weekends living in tranquility and strike up a communication with nature. Nestled in the thick of forests between the Dailai Lake and the surrounding mountains, the resort consists of two rather contrasting buildings, the ‘Dailai Conference Hall’ and the ‘Bamboo Wing.’

The 12-metre wide structure props its entire self on one rear leg. A series of such bamboo modules have been joined together in a semicircular arrangement.

Section of The Bamboo Wing.


The building is a homogenous expression of bamboo, “a cantilever structure that hangs in the air like a set of outstretched bird’s wings.”

The Bamboo Wing is an extraordinary experiment in the use of bamboo, not only as a finishing material, but a structural one. The building is a homogenous expression of bamboo, “a cantilever structure that hangs in the air like a set of outstretched bird’s wings.” The 12-metre wide structure comprises a series of asymmetric Y-shaped bamboo modules which draw inspiration, in form, from the feathers of a bird’s wing.

This is evident in the rise and fall of the bamboo arches. Each bamboo module props itself on one rear leg. The modules joined together in a semicircular arrangement enable a vastly extensive column-free space to be available for use.

The total area of the building is roughly 1600 square metres. Numerous stalks of bamboo have been combined methodically to design the said module. The 2-metre spacing between successive legs has been arrived at mathematically, to provide the structure with the support that it requires. “The foundation for the bamboo legs is made from reinforced concrete.”

Stainless steel cables fixed along both ends of the ‘wing’ provide an additional route for the structural load to be transferred to the ground. The bowed bamboo members which form the backbone of the project furnish the rustic interiors of the space with a relaxing and calming quality.

A series of stepping stones surrounded by water and growing bamboo lead up to the U-shaped building. The articulation of the building in this shape within the quiet pool was intentional. The structure appears as though it is lightly floating above the water and the seats of this luxury dining facility are systematically and symmetrically placed in keeping with the rhythm of the design.

The open space of the building can be used for different purposes such as wedding parties, live music concerts, fashion shows, conferences and other ceremonies. A service building positioned adjacent to the bamboo structure houses auxiliary functions - an office, a kitchen, a storage room, a wine cellar, a VIP room, toilets and a nursing room. The building hides under the cover of earth berming, blending unobtrusively within the landscape.


A service building positioned adjacent to the bamboo structure hides under the cover of earth berming, blending unobtrusively within the landscape.

“The shape of the roof was designed to take the cool wind into the building through the surrounding pond.”

The feat that the architects have achieved with the design of the Bamboo Wing is not only a structural one, but an ecological one as well. Fast-growing and renewable, bamboo is easily available everywhere in Vietnam. A design such as this automatically becomes an eye-opener to architects on how local materials can be employed in effective and versatile ways.

That apart, the bamboo has been “treated not by chemicals but in a traditional way, therefore the material is truly natural.” The bamboo members have been soaked in mud and smoked out in order to make them antiseptic and mothproof. Additionally, heat treatment has been administered to the stalks to attain the ideal curvature.

Apart from the main bamboo structure, other aspects of the building have also been constructed in natural locally available materials. Walls have been built in stone procured from quarries near the site. Traditional techniques of constructing thatched grass roofs have been exercised.

With a ‘green’ agenda in mind, “the shape of the roof was designed to take the cool wind into the building through the surrounding pond.” Additionally, the deep eaves cast a far-reaching shadow on the ground. Thus, a comfortable thermal environment has been created in which the use of air-conditioning is not required and electrical loads of the building are minimised substantially.


A comfortable thermal environment has been created in which the use of air-conditioning is not required and electrical loads of the building are minimised substantially.

For their excelling efforts with the Bamboo Wing, Vo Trong Nghia Architects were the recipients of the 2014 Building of the Year ARCASIA Award. The victory bears clear testimony to the fact that this half-moon-shaped building has made its mark in architecture in varying segments - innovative structural design, visionary eco-friendly design as well as an eloquent shaping of a client’s abstract vision into concrete reality.

www.votrongnghia.com


Taking used advertising banners as the starting point, the designers give a unique three-dimensionality to the material by cutting it into small pieces and then combining them to create interesting lighting objects. Each lamp shade is individually and specifically designed for each stand.

KaCaMa Design Lab is a Hong Kong-based product design firm which specialises in reusing post-consumer waste materials. With their products they not only plan on enriching people’s lives but also hope to instill an eco-awareness in them. KaCaMa has a strong connect with neighbouring enterprises, handicraft experts and local cultures.

KaCaMa DESIGN LAB

LIVING PIXELS

Text Compiled By Mala Bajaj

By sorting out matching colours and sewing each patch by hand the perfect irregular shape is arrived at. As the banner material is printed on just one side, the lamps appear to be white and pale when switched off; but once the lamps are lit, the plain appearance changes radically as the vibrant colours emerge.

Home Review April 2016 113

PP CAPSULE

EGGY CANDLEEggshells are items that are normally discarded in abundant quantities as a part of our daily lives. Countless eggshells are also discarded by the food industry. KaCaMa has seized this opportunity to use discarded eggshells to create simple and fun candles.

Eggy Candle as they call them can light up people’s lives and also spread a feeling of eco awareness. Eggshells are first collected and then cleaned thoroughly. A hole is then made and molten wax is poured in; Eggy Candle is ready for use once the wax cools down. Its special shape allows it to even float on water.

Bottle caps are normally removed and discarded prior to the recycling of plastic or glass bottles. Discarded plastic caps are used by KaCaMa and are reborn as flexible bean bags suited for living rooms. With the help of expert craftsmen supported by local seamstresses, one bean bag or PP Capsule up-cycles 4,000 plastic caps.

The caps are encapsulated in eco-friendly fabrics and converted into versatile and eye-catching pieces of furniture. The fabric of the bean bags is created from post-consumer PET bottles and post industrial waste as this requires less energy to produce than using virgin polyester. Recycled polyester is the most sustainable fibre that exists in the outerwear industry today.

STOOL ZERO

This handy stool is inspired by the concept of zero waste. Every year thousands of broken household appliances are just thrown away and replaced, causing an alarming amount of waste that often does not get a chance to be recycled.


For example, we have seen loose wires at scrap metal shops, which have been stripped of their copper wires, leaving the plastic outer shells as waste. In order to find a solution to this problem, we looked at the concept of zero waste, and designed a series of seating stool crowns from the plastic outer shells of wires.

Old fan covers are collected from recycling centres and used as tops for the Zero Stools. These are then covered with hand woven pieces of plastic wires in order to provide comfort and stability. Different patterns provide each stool a one-of-a-kind quality. The stool legs are made out of salvaged wood obtained from abandoned freight crates.

In addition to promoting the idea of recycling, KaCaMa also believes in creating an awareness for the preservation of old crafts. In this day and age of factory made products creativity has gone overlooked. The company with its eco sensitive range of products hopes to hit home a message.

www.kacama.hk


Traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design come together to create a delicate range of furniture and everyday products at the Jin Kuramoto Studio.

Text By Chryselle D’Silva Dias Photographs Courtesy The Designer

Home Review April 2016 115

JINKURAMOTO


There’s something solid about traditional craftsmanship that makes a piece of furniture special. Whether it is in the curve of a chair or a joint in the wood, the attention to detail makes a difference. Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto founded his Tokyo design studio in 2008 and designs furniture, electronics, automobiles and home products for leading brands including Sony, Nikon and Honda.

Kuramoto’s simple yet beautiful furniture designs are rooted in everyday life. One of his first chair designs is called ‘Life’(2009) and is inspired by simple chairs he has seen on his travels around the countryside. “I see pure and innocent attractions in their form,” he says on his website. “I do not yet truly know why they attract and inspire me so much. My feelings that I want to be closer to that “innocence” are reflected in this chair.”

The JK Chair (2012) is also influenced by traditional chairs. The curves of the JK are traditional yet minimalist enough to be contemporary. The “half-arms” are ergonomically designed so that the user can stand and sit easily in a narrow space.

For the Nadia chair (2014), Kuramoto employed traditional woodworking techniques used by Japanese carpenters on ships. “The Nadia series has been developed by focusing on a particular method, known as ‘kumiki’, which uses interlocking construction techniques.

The result is a series of contemporary furniture that harmonises the design aspects with the high level ‘kumiki’ structure, as well as giving an affectionate nod towards the wooden vessels of times gone by.”

Nadia Chair

Sally Chair

JK Chair

Mia Chair


Similarly, the Sally chair (2014) also employs traditional wood joining techniques. The chair looks dainty but “has a really strong structure with minimum parts.” The Nadia series also has side tables and coat racks, all made from the same interlocking method. The Mia (2016) is a stacking chair with short arms. The plywood back and frame gives the chair a traditional ‘office chair’ look, which makes it very versatile. Up to four chairs can be stacked together.

Apart from chairs, Kuramoto has also designed other furniture like side tables and shelves. Liz (2014) is a family of side tables made of plywood only 6mm thick. The unusual shape of the tables is almost sculptural and challenges the boundaries of our notions of what furniture should be like.

The Molly shelf (2014) has wooden shelves and fabric covered ‘doors’ which open out to reveal the shelves. When the doors are opened, the shelves appear to float without support, creating a lovely illusion. The shelf also works as a room divider.

Wind (2016) is another design for room dividers, “a concept more than an individual product.” Kuramoto describes it beautifully as a “forest of organic shapes that controls acoustics and makes the environment more pleasant and friendly.”

Equally organic is the Naft series (2011), one of my favourite Kuramoto designs. These products are simple and made out of metal. From geometric coat-hangers to origami-like pendant lamps, this is a beautiful collection of shapes and angles.

Liz

Molly Shelf

Wind

Naft


One of Kuramoto’s earliest experimental designs included the Blur collection (2008) that combined a vase and a pitcher with a spout at the same time. “I am interested in the outline of a daily usual act. For instance, baking bread, spreading butter, pouring coffee. Each stands for a separate action but it seems to connect side by side.” So the Blur can be used as a stand-alone vase but you can also fill it with water and water your plants as well.

In recent years, Kuramoto has played with shapes and size and the Phantom for Smaller Objects (2016) is an unusual name for a useful everyday product. The Phantom is a small container that you use to keep your keys or small change. Kuramoto asked the question, “What would be the lightest way to make this; to make your small valuables lightly float in suspension before returning to your pocket the next day?” The answer came in the shape of Japanese manufacturer NBC Meshtech Inc.

Together, they researched and developed a bowl of translucent polyester mesh that was small yet rigid enough to hold its shape. The end result is a tiny little thing of beauty, much like most of Kuramoto’s traditional and contemporary designs.

[email protected] www.jinkuramoto.com

Blur

Phantom

Rock


Scouting for that perfect shade of Rosewood for the coffee table in your new apartment just became easier. If you’re planning to revamp your home’s drab-and-dull decor with niche and quirky items that you have spotted on a foreign voyage, but are not exactly sure of how to get your hands on them, then you’re at the right place.

Log onto icustommadeit.com to fulfil all your bespoke furniture, home decor and accessories fantasies. They are your personal genie who help you to connect with people from all over the country possessing various talents, be it artisans, craftspersons, sculptors, furniture designers, product designers and even fashion and jewellery designers, besides other individuals skilled in diverse fields.


BESPOKE CREATIONS

TEXT BY REHANA HUSSAIN


In its complete essence, Icustommadeit is a platform that enables you to create your own one-off piece of almost anything under the sun by a one-on-one interaction with the designer or ‘creator’ as they call it. This idea struck Raj Iyer, a corporate bigwig who has over 25 years of experience in leadership, planning, directing and management, when he detected the requirement of custom-made products. Iyer is the founder and CMD of Icustommadeit, while Kundan Dhake is the co-promoter.


Iyer says, “Icustommadeit was founded on the belief that customisation is the core of any merchandise today. We draw our inspiration from a deep understanding of the growing need for custom-made products. Today everyone wants to look good and feel good. People are well travelled and well-heeled and are willing to spend time and energy to get unique, one-of-a-kind products.”

There are several categories on Icustommadeit including furniture, home decor, furnishings, kitchen accessories, paintings and so on, and sections that cater to clothes, shoes, jewellery, bags and other fashion accessories for men and women. You can either buy the product as is, or make iterations to it or just create a completely new product from scratch.

So Icustommadeit is not just restricted to customising the available products on the website, but offers the discerning customer a whole lot more in terms of handmade, one-off products. So if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like mass-produced goods and wants a one-off-a-kind creation made exclusively for you, Icustommadeit will help you make it true.

The process is simple, free and accessible from within the confines of your home. All you have to do is sign up, choose the category that you desire, fill out a form with details of what exactly you are looking for - a reference picture or link will do wonders - save it and voila, you are done! Now, your request is open to the creators and those interested in it will contact you via the portal’s internal messaging system.

You can ask, clarify and solve your doubts before shortlisting the one you want to work with. Alternatively, you may also initiate a ‘special invite’ request whereby you contact a specific creator with a clear idea of your desired project. As a 2-year-old start-up based in Pune, they are off to a promising start with over 3000 creators and 30,000 products.


Iyer states, “We started with a team of 7-8 employees and now we are a skilled team of 60. We have received a very positive response from the market and have been successfully funded by investors.”

With a background of serial entrepreneurship in knowledge process outsourcing, hospitality and e-commerce, Iyer knew the fundamentals of the marketplace. So setting up the business became a tad easy, yet it had its own set of challenges. Iyer clarifies, “Designed on a vertical marketplace model, Icustommadeit is - at its core - a dialogue between the buyer and the creator to co-create certain items made especially for customers to meet their unique needs.”

He continues, “Communication is challenging as well as imperative to the process; there is a lot of back-and-forth between both the parties to not only communicate what the buyer wants, but also to track the entire building process to make sure it’s meeting the buyer’s needs. In many ways, ‘icustommadeit.com’ is emphasising the root of e-commerce, which is an exchange of ideas.”

Icustommadeit is a platform that enables creative people to connect and collaborate on unique creations. It is as much for the design connoisseur who needs to add more value to his/her collection or for the young couple who seek to redo their home, as it is for the talented craftsperson working in his/her studio in another part of the country.

IcustommadeitTeerth TechnospaceIT Park, A-602, 6th Floor, Off Mumbai Bangalore Highway, Adjoining Mercedes Benz Showroom, Baner, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra. +91 8055905461+91 90280 12751 [email protected]


DESIGNQUEST

At The Potter’s Wheel By

Meg

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Born and brought up in Delhi, I started my journey with not really knowing what I’d like to be or do in life. I knew I wasn’t alone and was convinced this was the way of life. So obviously, I didn’t stick to one vocation. From being a commerce graduate, to wanting to become a professional dancer, to working for an advertising firm, to just making lamps out of wood and acrylic and selling them, I finally settled for interior design.

After doing a two year diploma and then working for two years in the field (being settled in Bombay now), I received a phone call from my closest friend in Delhi, suggesting a change in career for both of us.

I laughed at the idea, even though I wasn’t really content or satisfied with my current profession but knowing such is life, it had no effect on me. It was due to her persistent calls and the idea of learning pottery in Auroville - a beautiful town just next to Pondicherry where we first saw pottery studios - that made me decide to go for it.


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We both saved some money and were serving our notice period to leave for Auroville in a month, when to my surprise, my friend had a change of mind and it dawned on me that I was on my own. It took me another month and another friend to convince me to take the plunge and see what happens. I’m grateful to the decision I made or I’m sure I would’ve looked back and wondered what if…

I packed my bags and went to Auroville, only to realise that none of the potters were interested in teaching or mentoring a student. It didn’t seem like a good idea to leave my steady job any more. After a little persistence, one of the senior potters agreed to help me out by educating me about Andretta Pottery situated in a small village in Himachal Pradesh.

So I headed over to this postcard village called Andretta with the Dhauladhar range of Himalayas as its backdrop. The pottery studio was in the midst of this heavenly beauty; with the view of the mountains covered in snow and a little stream of water running right beside it.

The pottery is run by Mansimran ‘Mini’ Singh, son of famous potter Gurcharan Singh. With the dawn of the first day, I lay my hands on the clay on the wheel. It took me less than a minute to realise that throwing pots - that is, making/pulling a pot on the wheel - was no piece of cake.

It took me nearly a month with six days a week and seven hours a day of learning to centre a lump of clay, which means to be able to just handle the clay and keep it at the absolute centre of the wheel.

I’d known for some time now that it’s not going be an easy three months. There were times that I was sure this was not for me and I’d cry thinking I have taken the wrong decision. But the thought of creating a pot out of just a lump of clay inspired me to not give up; I was creating something out of nothing.

I saw every person around me make pots after pots with such ease and so I pushed myself every day to keep making the effort and not give up (even though the thought didn’t leave my mind). It was only after continuous practice for days, that by the end of the third month and end of the course, my hands could throw pots of shapes and sizes I’d only dreamt of.


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It was only after that I learnt how the clay used to control me and not the other way round. The clay is just like us in many ways and cannot be just turned around without its consent; the clay gets tired too and you need to let it rest for it to be ready to use all over again.

Learning pottery is all about acquainting yourself with clay, understanding it and shaping it as you want. As the wheel turns, your thoughts go away and you simply stare in silence, looking in wonder at the spinning wheel, as if something’s coming out of nothing. It truly is meditative.

I was no longer afraid and had no doubts any longer. I knew I’m going to be a potter. I came back to Delhi, learnt and practised under another great potter, Mrs. Rachna Parasher for one year, set up my studio (garage turned into a studio) right next to my house, started working and am a Studio Potter now.

I also had an opportunity to work with some international potters at Eltorn in Barcelona, for a period of six months that helped me learn new skills to complete the same tasks in many different ways. I was fortunate enough to be able to exhibit my work too in a festival among fellow potters there.

My studio is called The Mudslingers. You’ll often find me at exhibitions and festivals or just mudslinging with some students in my studio. All my pots are handmade on the potter’s wheel, with stoneware clay. The designs are hand etched and the pots see the firing kiln twice before they find their way outside the studio, with their entirely unique glaze textures and colour patterns. They are all food grade, microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.

I plan to tie up with some stores and take part in more festivals around the country in the future but for the time being, to buy or know more about my work find The Mudslingers on Facebook or shoot me an email.

[email protected]


Tresorie offers home treasures to the modern Indian homeowner whose design sensibilities and aesthetics are varied and contemporary.


A Treasure To Behold

Retail Therapy

Tresorie derives its name from ‘trésor’, which is actually French for treasure. The store is but a means for the discerning customer to find that which holds pride of place both in one’s heart and home.

Text By Dhanishta ShahPhotographs By Gunippa Shetty


Tresorie, the brand and store was born in 1998. The brainchild of Sonali Arora, who has won international accolades in both product and apparel design, this homemaker’s haven has always been known for its one of a kind décor items.

However, 2016 brought with it a complete transformation in the look as well as the design sensibilities. Tresorie is now ready to offer home treasures to the modern Indian homeowner whose design sensibilities and aesthetics are varied and contemporary. It is a resurrection of sorts.

The technique of layering is quite evident in the way the store has been designed. There is a gentle difference in the textures and colours of the wood used for all the shelves that line the walls. The use of stone, wood and terracotta at different places in the design contributes to a rich weave.

A lot of natural light streams in through the huge windows. In addition, they have tried to maintain the thin line between lighting a focal object as well as allowing the peripheral lighting to fall on other items. In a sense, this also brings in layers of light that add its own charm.

The stairwell is clearly a major décor highlight. The Travertine stone used on the walls in this area - which comes off as a mini art gallery - has been treated to look like old limestone. It was there in the original store as well, and hence carries an emotional connect.

The stairwell is clearly a major décor highlight. The Travertine stone used on the walls in this area has been treated to look like old limestone.

The store is spread over five floors in the midst of one of the most famous shopping streets in Santacruz. As one enters, elegant outdoor accessories greet the visitor in the little porch-like area outside the building. As one steps in, one becomes a part of the experience that Arora has worked hard to construct for her client.

She recognises that due to the quickening pace of life, coupled with the convenience of online shopping, the in-shop experience assumes even more importance today. “When someone enters the store you need to awaken their senses,” she explains. The beautiful aromas wafting through the store, aesthetically arranged displays and soothing music are all a part of the experience.

The display shows a storyline as to how different products could work together to make a décor tale.


Tresorie is predominately recognised as a luxurious home decor brand that offers an array of exquisite home accessories. It stocks in-house organic fragrances and incense, candles amongst others.

There are areas allocated to home collectives, silverware and tableware, bar accessories, kitchenware, bedding, bath essentials, rugs and aromatherapy lines as well outdoor-planters and garden accessories. Owing to their high level of quality and an eclectic design, these items have found their right place in the store which only offers treasures!

www.tresorie.co.in

This area is slated to be used for varied pop-up shows and events as well. “This is the floor that takes us away from being static. This will be the component that will help us evolve,” she says.

Some products have been stacked along the walls, while those in the centre of the rooms are used to tell a story. The client, to put it in Arora’s words, becomes ‘part of a story’. For her, the display shows a storyline as to how different products could work together to make a décor tale.

Yet, to make it simpler for those who are looking for specific products, the categorisation done along the walls removes the layers. The store thus becomes friendly for those who want to buy something specific as well as for those who want to merely browse and relish beautiful things.

Arora has studied framing and she puts this knowledge into great use here with a selection of veritable frames ranging from modern art, architectural drawings, lithographs and news clippings that tell of significant milestones such as the news of man’s landing on the moon or of the first person to conquer the Everest!

As one climbs the floors and reaches the top, the experience culminates into something special. A lounge café, with brick walls and a contemporary vibe, offers the guests coffee as they relax and soak in the beauty of the products they have just experienced. The lounge overlooks a terrace where more outdoor products are displayed.

The lower ground floor has tableware, kitchen accessories and crockery displayed in a manner that makes it easy to mix and match.

Layers of light, natural and artificial, intermingle and create its own charm.


Infused with an all pervasive lavishness, Theoxenia is a consummate boutique hotel which offers soul-stirring panoramas of the Aegean Sea from every location.


Part of the Cyclades, an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece, Mykonos lies between Tinos Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 sq km and rises to an elevation of 341 m at its highest point. Since the fifties, Mykonos has always been one of the most popular tourist islands of the Mediterranean.

Text By Mala Bajaj Photographs Courtesy Design Hotels™

There are four white windmills that can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos, a Greek island, and right by the side of this iconic setting is tucked Theoxenia, a member of Design Hotels™. It shines across with a winning combination of three attributes: breezy, contemporary and welcoming to all.

BY THE WINDMILLS


Island hotels have a magic all of their own and none more so than Theoxenia. With wonderful views of the Aegean Sea from almost all locations in the hotel, Theoxenia one of Design Hotels™’ very worthy members in Mykonos, is all about privacy and serenity. The structure is a legendary example of the typical hotel architecture that existed in the 1960’s, but it has since, been extensively refurbished in the year 2004. This 52 room property now does a splendid job of holding its own and yet merging in with the cube-shaped, all white and turquoise houses that glow in the sunlight on this close to paradise, Greek island.

Come evening, when the guests crave for their favourite tipple or two, it is to the Patricia Urquiola designed, Fjord bar stools of breeze in, the cocktail bar of the hotel that they head to.


Angelos Angelopoulos and Yiannis Tsimas were at the helm of affairs of redesigning the interiors of this beautifully located coastal retreat originally created by architect Aris Kostantinide. The decorative style is chic and minimalist: a tasteful mix of uncovered stone and turquoise and white, which is of course the default colour combination of the structures on this island.

The rooms are done up in impressive fabrics with patterns inspired by the 60s and natural stone floors and luxurious bathrooms with a bathtub and/or spa-shower complete the luxe package. Big balconies or patios with gardens providing sea views make the rooms even more of ‘just what the doctor ordered’.

At the heart of this unique hotel is a decadent free form pool with an island; the area around is landscaped with pine and date trees. It is here that most of the guests are seen soaking up the sun and indulging in some deep relaxation. For those who feel the need to expend some energy from time to time, the underwater exercise equipment does the job brilliantly.

The jetted corner in the pool itself provides some more soothing and sybaritic luxury. For the even more energetic the fully equipped B-Healthy Club allows the guests to not miss out on a single day’s workout. And, over and above the menu of unique massages offered, keeps the spa junkies well satiated too.

Sea front pergolas placed amidst landscaped gardens and filled with inviting day beds let the guests relax in yet another stunning setting of the hotel. Theoxenia has a fresh and modern aesthetic and aided by the gentle Mediterranean breezes and jaw dropping views, becomes quite easily a clear choice for anybody coming to Mykonos. Come evening, when the guests crave for their favourite tipple or two, it is to the deep blue Patricia Urquiola designed, Fjord bar stools of breeze in, the cocktail bar of the hotel that they head to. The cuisine offered at the gourmet restaurant The Plate is informed by an innovative approach and underpinned by authenticity that keeps even the fussiest of eaters spoilt for choice.

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Theoxenia is a luxury boutique hotel that is inspired by the 60’s and is now accredited ‘national preserved property’ for its innovative style, architecture and the unique use of the local stone and craftsmanship while respecting the traditional Cycladic architecture.

Walk just 30 steps away from the hotel and you will find yourself in a labyrinth of countless alleys and whitewashed cobbled pathways. These are full of restaurants, bars and shops filled to the gills with almost everything that you can think of. Red domes and bell towers of countless churches intersperse and complete a picture so unique to the island of Mykonos.

Theoxenia is the consummate boutique hotel. It does everything right. From its views - high up above the golden sands of the Mykonos Beach which seem recently sieved, with soul-stirring panoramas of the Aegean Sea - to its rooms: bright, airy, done up in subtle colours and chic furnishings, with no hint of nautical overload, with cloud-like beds and modern bathrooms and balconies that offer more of those views.

Banquets, special occasion celebrations or even candle light dinners for two are handled with heartfelt hospitality and ease. Theoxenia, provides that quality of a soul warming, comfortable and authentic island experience, both inside and out, that however long your stay is at this hotel you will be sorry to leave.

www.designhotels.com/hotels/greece/ mykonos/mykonos-theoxenia

The guests are spoilt for choice of location, wherein they may indulge uninterruptedly in the slow life.

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Parryware Contributes Pink Toilets To Swachh Bharat Mission

Parryware, one of India’s leading manufacturers of bathroom products is celebrating this Women’s Day by contributing 1000 Indian style, pink toilets to Swachh Bharat Mission, Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to make Delhi open defecation free. Parryware’s contribution is to promote a nationwide initiative that aims to build a social movement for sanitation and toilet use thereby leading to an open-defecation-free India.

1000 toilets will be installed in the market areas, urban slums and areas around the railway station in the capital, as the initial step to achieve well-maintained sanitation and hygiene facilities for women. “Women are an inherent part of the society and it is everyone’s responsibility to make them feel secure and confident.

This contribution is our endeavour to contribute towards their safety and hygiene by providing sound sanitation facilities. We are one of India’s leading bathroom products solutions providers and believe in contributing towards this dream project initiated by PM Narendra Modi and his team under the Ministry of Urban Development,” said Pau Abelló Pellicer, MD, Roca Bathroom Products Pvt. Ltd.

He continues, “This Women’s Day, we have contributed towards providing sound sanitation facilities for women in the capital. We hope to bring a change in the mind of the people towards a better hygiene, sanitation and thereby intend to create an open defecation free India.”

www.parryware.in

Liberate re-imagines the way a chair should behave, responding to the user’s every movement to provide support at any angle. The chair is built with health oriented ergonomics in mind, featuring the unique DynaFlex system that provides intelligent feedback to the user.

This system delivers comfort for long hours at the upright 90° position typically suited for computer use. Featherlite has incorporated this technology into a product of seamless design that blends perfectly into the modern office environment.

This unique system is designed to offer unprecedented flexibility and freedom to the user, putting items on either side within easy reach. It also features a special flex lumbar support that synchronises perfectly with your back in all positions of recline.

www.featherlitefurniture.com

Designed To Respond – Liberate From Featherlite

Tisva Launches New Lighting Designs

Tisva, designer home lighting, from the house of Usha International Ltd. has launched its Spring Collection 2016. Inspired by the concept of Tvisha (light) and Tattva (essence), the Tisva product portfolio brings the latest lighting trends backed by international quality and service standards.

Highlight of the new collection is the concept pendant range made from concrete. Designed for ultra-modern rugged interiors these fixtures come with aluminium reflector on the inside to ensure high efficiency of light with minimal light loss.

The Chandelier collection presents a mix of contemporary and heritage designs offering discerning consumers a choice between traditional elegance and modern decor. These ornate hanging luminaires are as much decoration as they are light sources. From exquisite craftsmanship of hand blown glass to the vintage charm of glowing candle lamps, these chandeliers are perfect for living room and dining spaces.

This range also introduces, an exquisite mirror finish copper pendant designed in a dome shape that fuses minimalism with artistic precision. Featuring a centric-circled aluminium reflector and bulb cover on the inside, it emits just the right amount of light to warm the ambience in any room. Large size metal pendants and LED table lamps complete this new assortment.

www.lightsbytisva.com

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Anvi luxury surfaces are an innovation that is a combination of wood and resin in different styles. The company produces models in a wide range of custom design, to form unique interiors, keeping the choice of their customers as their first precedence.

Wooden Street has launched a convertible pool cum dining table, a unique furniture piece exclusive to this store. The product has two solid wood removable table tops, which makes it easier to transform the standard dining table into a pool table within a few seconds.

The craftsmanship of this piece speaks of the quality and durability. The dining is compact yet spacious, and unlike regular

Anvi Luxury Surfaces By Artecraft

Convertible Pool Cum Dining Table By Wooden Street

The availability of coloured resin and different species of the wood, helps to have a wide range to choose from and go ahead to make a masterpiece, that is one of its kind.

They are bifurcated into the following ranges: fusion, it is a blend of wood and resin, wherein the wood in the form of spaced strips is casted with resin in between them horizontally or vertically to form beautiful patterns; in routed fusion, routing is done by making use of the latest technology on the top surface of the fusion panels, which in turn creates lucid accents to form a 3D effect.

Wood droplets are a blend of wood and coloured or transparent resin wherein cross-sectional wood in the form of cubes is used like droplets and resin is casted in between them to form a product with a different approach, taste and fondness. Radiant is a combination of wood and resin where resin is casted within wooden facings on both the sides and then crafted with a design to suit an individual’s taste.

www.anvilifestyle.com

dining tables it does not take up much space and can easily accommodate seven adults. The furniture piece has been crafted with 100% solid wood and professional pool cloth has been used in its make, thus ensuring that the table will last for years to come. The upholstered storage bench provides both comfortable seating as well as storage space for pool accessories.

www.woodenstreet.com

HSIL’s recently launched brand Moonbow with its first product offering, Air-Purifier, is making waves in the market winning the Product Of The Year 2016’. Adding to the delight, Hindware Atlantic water-heaters too got the top spot in its category. Both the products were launched last year.

The awards were given by Product of the Year (POY), world’s largest consumer-voted award survey conducted by Nielsen. It is an internationally recognized certification that celebrates and rewards the best innovations in consumer products and services.

Attending the award ceremony, Mr. Rakesh Kaul, President and Chief, Consumer Business Vertical, HSIL Ltd, said, “It is a great achievement for HSIL and the entire team. It was just last year, when we introduced two new product categories as part of the company’s diversification strategy after completing an extensive market research. And winning this recognition, tells us we are in the right direction.”

He further continues, “Being awarded the ‘Product of the Year’ in its respective categories, both products testify our commitment in developing products that meet the needs of our consumer. The award recognition thus holds pride of place in our hearts as we have managed to satisfy consumer needs. It is also a great motivator for moving ahead.”

www.hindwarehomes.com

HSIL’s New Consumer Business Vertical On A Winning Path

Mr. Rakesh Kaul, President and Chief, Consumer Business Vertical, HSIL Ltd.

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