PORTFOLIO AARUSHI KALRA
SPIN AND WEAVE INSTALLATION DESIGN
THEATRE X : THE ARCHITECTURE OF POSSIBILITIES INTERIOR DESIGN
POP UP : NIKE AIR MAX 270 INTERIOR DESIGN
DEMOCRATIC SEAT FURNITURE DESIGN
ARO-MORY EXPERIENCE DESIGN
MY STORY OF THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS INTERIOR DESIGN
MISS INFORMATION’S ARMS INTERIOR DESIGN
PARADISE MATERIAL EXPLORATION
HERITAGE INTERIOR DESIGN (COMPLETED)
THE GOOD SUIT CO. INTERIOR DESIGN (COMPLETED)
SHAKUNTLAM INTERIOR DESIGN (COMPLETED)
QUTUB; A CHILDHOOD MEMORY SET DEIGN
SPIN AND WEAVE INSTALLATION PROPOSAL
Brief : Political space-making - from the monumental to the infinitesimal.
Spin & Weave: An Exploration of the Themes of Nationalism, Social Fabric & the Circularity of Time
Set in the context of pre independent India - in an anti colonial move towards Indian self-sufficiency against the British, Gandhi decided to revive a craft many saw as already dead: the handspinning of cotton into thread, using the Charkha - the Spinning Wheel of India. He saw spinning as an economic and political activity that could bring together the diverse populations of South Asia and was a defining symbol around which the struggle for Indian independence was centered. However, today it remains a static symbol, as a part of history and as a part of the India national flag. It has lost its efficacy once its dynamic performance ceased to anchor a political movement. We retain now only the echo of its circular rhythm. It is inevitable that this symbol comes to my mind in the times we live in. It could be argued that the spinning wheel that once spun the fabric of unity now spins the fabric of division. What once symbolized inclusivity now takes pride in furthering exclusivity. Through the following two pieces I aim to ask the questions - how can a symbol so intrinsically part of my own culture be revived to interact with present day global occurrences? Can the symbol of unity now represent boundaries?
THE MONUMENTAL DURATION
In this project I wanted to explore the idea of division in the form of an immersive installation. I pose the questions - Can spun yarn, a material synonymous with social inclusion in the Indian freedom struggle, be used to create boundaries across a space? How then may a person traverse these new boundaries? I envisioned this piece as a dense web of thread coming through a spinning wheel that interrupts the spectator’s path and field of vision. These interruptions nudge the spectator to traverse the space in different ways. In some areas they are so dense that one might be forced to change their path while in other areas one is forced to crawl or hop across the threads. This is presented in the form of a scaled model showcasing a spinning wheel in the centre and white cotton yarn (in reference to the original movement) framing the space. The final installation was designed as an immersive experinece with an audio track acting as a stimulant for users to engage and interact with the piece.
THE INFINITISEMAL DURATION
In this project I explore the idea of unity and division through the choice of white and black yarn and through the convergence and divergence of thread. With the choice of paper I question the notion of boundaries and what it means to be free in today’s world.
THEATRE X : THE ARCHITECTURE OF POSSIBILITIES INTERIOR DESIGN
What is the Architecture of a Digital Space? Retail stores are looking for innovative ways to create flexible, experiential and sensorial spaces. By observing how digital interfaces allow for an efficient and multidisciplinary user experience, how can we marry the two to create a more dynamic retail experience than ever before? “Translating the digital into the physical” Border&Fall is a website and digital-only platform who challenge preconceived notions of the sari as a traditional, outdated or gender specific garment. Their mission is targeting a global youth audience to reinvent and change this perception through artist collaborations and creative multimedia such as talks, films, and exhibitions. This project was conceived as a space to encapsulate both the essence of Border&Fall website and the Sari, a place for boundless creativity, adaptability and flexibility. The space derives its identity in the interplay between the ideas of a sari being a 9-yard-long blank canvas for personal expression and the website being an infinite blank canvas for a multimedia-rich user interaction. Border&Fall as a concept space with its structure and systems, enables the stories of the collaborating artists to shine through, just like a weaver weaves new stories on a highly mechanised loom. The design philosophy of the store is to allow collaborators a blank canvas, indeed a ‘magic’ canvas on which to display their work. An elaborate system of invisible jigs, fixtures and pulleys ensure that the space is able to transform to respond to the most dynamic of spatial configurations. The space treads a balance between the space’s digital and physical (tactile) elements by creating a strong and clear dialogue between the two; allowing it to offer itself as a blank canvas, nimbly taking on the identity of the voice(s) and the programme it represents. The space in essence, thus, mimics the fluidity of a Sari, acting like an architectural, ever changing display, with a vivid and mesmeric user experience
DESIGN
Can a balance be struck between the flexibility of the digital medium and the tactility of the physical world by creating a strong a programme i I use the questions above to interpret a concept store for Border and Fall. A space, that, in essence, mimics the fluidity of the S
VISION
and clear dialogue between the two? Can the space become a blank canvas, nimbly taking on the identity of the voice(s) and the it represents? Sari and the flexibility of a website, acting like an architectural, ever changing display, with a vivid and mesmeric user experience.
INTERIOR ELEMENTS C o nt a c t u s S ho p E v e nt s About
Design Philosophy Experience the Making Meet the Maker
Insertion
Zoning
Programming LE D Wa l l Pa ne l s H o l o g r a p hi c S c re e ns D r a p e d Pa r t i t i o n s
R GB Li g ht i ng
Tr a c k e d Wa l l s
Pr o j e c t i o n
Suspended Ceiling Dynamic Flooring
Ex i t En t e r
Circulation
Digital Systems
Mechanical Systems
Fashion Show + Flash Retail
Film Screening + Exhibition
Exhibition
SPATIAL FLEXIBILITY
Material Library + Workshop
Border&Fall : Meet the Maker
Border&Fal : Events
Border&Fal : Shop
Border&Fall x Rimzim Dadu : Meet the Maker
Border&Fall x Rimzim Dadu : Experience the Making
Border&Fall x Rimzim Dadu : Design Philosophy
BORDER & FALLxRIMZIM DADU Spatial Configuration : Exhibition + Flash Retail The visitor is invited to embark on a journey from sunrise to sunset, this space imagines Rimzim’s travels and traces her inspirations from around the world. The space reflects the delicate, surreal and structured essence of her work. Programmatically, the space has been planned for the user journey to include immersion zones, installations and an experiential retail environment.
Border&Fall x Rimzim Dadu : Event
Border&Fall x Rimzim Dadu : Shop
POP UP : NIKE AIR MAX INTERIOR DESIGN
Brief : Designing a space to best display the Nike Air Max 270.
INTRODUCTION TO AIR MAX
DISPLAY OF COLLABORATIONS
DESIGN YOUR OWN STORY
SPACE FUNCTIONALITY
SHARE YOUR STORY
Plan
View of the Entrance Corridor
VIEW THE STORY
MAKE YOUR STORY
SHARE YOUR STORY
Installation by Tukojin Yoshioga
The Walls would be designed to encase sand that is constantly in motion by the help of motorized fans. Due to this airy. light motion - one woild psychologocally feel they themserlves are in motion, while the air itself is used to create the space. Almost creating a feeling of walking in air.
DEMOCRATIC SEAT FURNITURE DESIGN
Democracy stripped down to it's bare bones is the balancing act between the power, ideas and aspirations of the masses and their elec representatives. It is in essence, a constant dialogue between the many and the elected few.
cted
ARO-MORY EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Aro-mory : Using smell as a means of storytelling Ever travelled back in time? No? Not even when you`ve smelled something familiar? The smell of freshly baked cookies your grandmother baked or the fragrance of old books in a library, some fragrances simply stay with us in our memory. We might not smell the same fragrance ever again, but when we smell a familiar scent of something, we are immediately reminded of an event, place, person or simply a phase in life. These aromatic garments are a journey through some of the touching memories that one might have been through and a means of communication that allows one to share their experiences using the senses. Walk. Pause. Sniff. Go back in time.
This project was under the guidance of designers Wan-Ting Tseng and Jack O’Leary McNeice with additional expert input from perfumer Sarah McCartney, scent engineer Harry Sherwood and future storyteller Anna Nolda Nagele. Design Team : Aarushi Kalra, Malvika Bhasin, David Sappa, Kiyohiro Izumo, Vyjayanti Ramkumar
MY STORY OF THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS INTERIOR DESIGN
Brief : To design the entrance experience and foyer of a temporary pop up Christmas Museum, called ‘My story of the story of Christmas’
My story of the story of Christmas : Being from Delhi - India, Christmas is not a festival inherent to my culture. For me the two things that define Christmas are the chaos in the city and a happy feeling of unwrapping a secret Santa present. When I say chaos, I am talking about the pollution, the traffic, parties everywhere - you almost do not want to leave your house, and yet there is that feeling of joy and satisfaction as a friend would stop by your house to drop off a present. For me the challenge was to design the experience of unwrapping in a chaotic environment. To be able to do the same, I broke down the experience of unwrapping as curiosity, anticipation, surprise and satisfaction and set it in a maze like formation. I started to design my space that would evoke the same emotions while unwrapping the space as unwrapping a present would do. The spaces went from confined areas, to framing glimpses of the site (106 commercial street) to gradually unraveling as the fabric walls become solid to translucent , to entering into a brightly rendered space that comes as a surprise in the generated setting to then opening onto the main entrance of the museum.
UNWRAPPING A PRESENT IN A CHAOTIC ENVIRONMENT
Haze - Confusion - Chaos in a space evoking a feeling of Curiosity - Anticipation - Joy and Surprise
RECEPTION
ALLURE (ENTRANCE)
CURIOUSITY (RECEPTION)
JOY (UNWRAPPIN
AMPHI
WHIMSICAL CIRLCULATION
COAT ROOM
SHOP
STAFF ROOM
CHAOS
CURIOUSITY (JOURNEY)
NG OF SPACES)
SURPRISE (GROTTO)
SATISFACTION (MUSEUM ENTRANCE)
The entrance to the museum of Christmas is designed with contrasting identities. Visually it represents chaos, a space of confusion however in circulation it is a simple movement pattern animated by view points that evoke a sense of curiosity. It is designed in varying angular heights of different opacities of fabric panels. The angular surfaces create a jarring environment of chaos while the fabric gradually unveils the old historic building. Playing with opacities of a pure colored fabric not only allows layering that enables an experience of unwrapping a present, but also creates a minimal almost a Zen like environment full of curiosities and excitement as you traverse these layers.
7 5
+2400 6 +2400 4 3
+1500
2
+00
1
1m
PLAN 0 Existing Floor
2m
Inserted Floors 1
Entrance
2
Reception
3
Cloak Room
4
Staff Area
5
Amphitheater
6
Grotto with shop underneath
7
Entrance to museum
Plaster Board (Maximum Opacity)
2
1
Fabric (Minimum Opacity)
Each panel is constructed by 50 x 50 mm white powder coated metal members Fabric
with stretched fabric between them. The distance of the members has been
(Medium Opacity)
decided keeping in mind the standard roll dimensions of fabric.
5 6
7 4
8
3
EMOTIONS 1
Allure
2
Curiosity
3
Curiosity
4
Anticipation
5
Anticipation
6
Anticipation
7
Surprise
8
Joy
1 ALLURE A bright entrance door pulls you in the way a ribbon allures you
2 CURIOSITY A feeling of wonder generated by compressing of scale
3 CURIOSITY A small peek through into the building
4 ANTICIPATION Excitement of unraveling
ANTICIPATION 5 More and more building comes into view
ANTICIPATION 6 The gleaming grotto comes into view through the layers
SURPRISE 7 Explosion of color symbolizes the joy of having the present
SATISFACTION 8 The shop and the entrance to the museum come into view symbolizing moving on to another task.
MISS INFORMATION’S ARMS INTERIOR DESIGN
Brief : Design a pub. A place which reacts to this strange moment in time, culturally and politically, a place which reflects a post Brexit future. One of the major criticisms of the Brexit campaign is the number of misleading and false claims. Both the political sides have been accused of running deeply flawed campaigns with spurious reports such as money streaming back to the in the event of Brexit. In this age of digital media, the news spreads like wild fire so how does one differentiate between what is and what is not? Through this project, my aim was to recreate the idea of ‘misinformation’ through a play of severe contrasts and illusions. In terms of form, I inserted an ultramodern structure in contrast to the traditional 200 year old building. It builds a false expectation of being what it isn’t through it’s facade to someone unaware of its insides. Mutiple platforms helped create a false sense of privacy, but the question is if it’s really private when you can always peek through to another platform. The space replicates the confusion in navigation, to aid this a few inserted coloured frames are added that not only guide the movement but are also a play of illusions, questioning the reality. It makes the visitor initially feel like they are approaching a coloured room only to realise that the frame fragments into many planes as they walk further towards it. In terms of function, the space is designed to enable a spread of information and opinions with an instigating spark, then through communication and finally through dissemination. This is done through various elements such as glass screens that allow visitors to write on and microphones travelling through floors that allow them to anonymously communicate. As one writes another reads, as one speaks another listens creating an active and passive means of communication and information exchange. This space eventually converts into an amphitheatre that enables the act of dissemination where a person has a platform to reach a much wider audience.
THE ART OF SPREADING MIS-INFORMATION
Confusing - Mind boggling - Attractive - Framed - Integrated into pop culture Word of Mouth
Spread
Stark experience in a warm space.
Speak/ Hear
Framing space to aid navigation
Communicate
Read/ Write
Scale of spaces to provide false sense of privacy.
Existing Building
Insertion
Instigate
M i s s I n f o r m a t i o n’ s A r m s
DESIGN EVOLUTION
The pub has been inserted as a contrasting structure to an age old site.
Levels are used as ways of spreading information. By writing/ reading, talking, / hearing
The pub itself is designed as a staircase.
The
pub finally culminates into the amphitheatre, a space to spread views
4 +00
5
+760
3
+00
2
+1520
+1205 +1395
+930
1
1m
2m
PLAN 0 Existing Floor Inserted Floors 1
Entrance
2
Large scale Video Screen
3
Cellar
4
Bar
5
Elevator
Extracted View of Levels and Steps
The ultramodern structure is inserted into the site contrasting the 200 year old traditional building . The prexisting site serves as a false impression of the expected space. Mutiple platforms segregate the space as intimate settings, giving a false sense of privacy. The question remains is it really private?
Frame Illusions
Writable Screens Microphones
In this maze of levels, illusions of coloured frames are added to not only aid movement but also to play with perception. From a distance it appears as though you are approaching a coloured room only to realise that it is only fragments of colour on different surfaces that paint a picture together. This is an adaptation of how information is framed to appeal to people.
PARADISE MATERIAL EXPLORATION
“When she was just a girl, she expected the world...” Paradise, Coldplay I chose Coldplay’s evergreen song ‘Paradise’ as my inspiration for this project. This song for me conjures up images of a dream world full of whimsy, wonder and joy. The song wonderfully depicts the contrast between the harsh reality that a little girl find herself in and a dreamscape that becomes her means of escape. In the design of the shelf I tried to explore the dichotomy between two worlds - one of mundane reality and one of dreamy wonder and the link between the two. I used the act of dreaming as the central design theme. In terms spatial design the journey through the shop is reminiscent of a dream. For the material palette for this project, I play with contradictory ideas of hardness and softness for two reasons. The song has a backing track of hard or harsh notes and the emotions the song evokes are that of ease, optimism, happiness. Secondly I also try to highlight the difference between harsh reality and a playful dream. The hardness of the space is achieved by the use of a core industrial material - perforated metal, while the playfulness is added by colored rubber balls reminiscent of childhood memories.
A head full of dreams I draw inspiration from the concept of peeking into a different world and try to play with the ideas of layering and illusion. The rubber balls for instance make use of at least three layers that give a perception of visual depth. For the floor, I experiment with a combination of Jasmonite and Steel wool which on the face of it feels like marble but has an alternate texture peeping through it. The haziness of a dream is recreated by the use of frosted plexiglass which enhances shadows and play of color.
MATERIAL EXPLORATION
HERITAGE INTERIOR DESIGN Project done with I’m D’sign
The concept revolves around the name HERITAGE, recreating the weaving environment using typical detailing, enticing the customer into a dramatic shopping experience. The elevation makes a bold statement in an organic market space. A logo in copper dominates a façade made of burnt bricks. As one enters they are greeted with a multilayered screen of threads and letters of the word Heritage, translating the art of weaving into interior hardware. Beyond this, one walks into an environment that allows each garment to be experienced as a piece of art. Close attention has been paid in detailing using all materials in their honest formrusted iron, reclaimed wood with elements of copper to support the theme. The atmosphere is further enhanced by using parts of old Looms, suspended to weave the display with its threads. A solid reclaimed wooden counter sits in the center under a large customized light installation. The store was envisioned to invoke a strong feeling of contemporary design, Indian influences and classic timeless materials. Location: New Delhi,India | Site Area: 200sq.m
GOOD SUIT CO. INTERIOR DESIGN Project done with I’m D’sign
The store has been designed in an interior language that’s a mix of extravagance and modernity. We studied the brands inspiration source from Italy while aiming to infuse the premise with a solid dose of modernity to signal the advanced creative trajectory of the fashion house. The palette is meticulously layered, rich in detail, and brilliantly balances the past and the future at the same time. The store’s decor is a mix of neoclassical opulence and sleek midcentury designs rendered in a modern style. The key element of the store is its classical vaulted ceiling, combined with paneled walls and a rich parquet floor. Each of the three vaults is ornamented by delicate handmade paintings along with a chandelier. This decor is further defined by sleek metal fixtures, oak wood tables, blue velvet upholstery, classical cabinets rendered in a royal shade of blue. The blue not only adds the spark of color but also becomes the central theme to the store. Location: Chandigarh,India | Site Area: 150sq.m
The blue not only adds a spark of color but becomes a central theme of the store.
The counters have been clad in the same marble as the floor to create a minimal seamless look to the space.
The vaulted ceilings are ornamented with delicate hand made paintings and an elegant chandelier.
The store is a combination of classical elements along with sleek detailing in a contemporary format.
SHAKUNTLAM INTERIOR DESIGN Project done with I’m D’sign
QUTUB; A Childhood Memor y SET DESIGN
An illustration that explores the idea of finding whimsy and adventure in our everyday life, experiences and travels. And how our creativity and personality inform our memories to create a personal meaning and a sense of belonging. Born and brought up in New Delhi, the Qutub Minar is one monument very close to my heart. I cross it every single day back and forth from work and yet when I think of it what I remember is not the details but the experience of the spiralling hypnotic minaret, the domes that line the sky, arches big and small, whole and part that together form this beautiful magical stage set painted in my own personality that defines the majestic minaret for me.