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INDIA
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P I E D - À -T E R R E
THE SMALL SPACES ISSUE VIVEK SAHNI NIMISH SHAH MANSI PODDAR
TASTEMAKERS AT HOME
FROM THE PERFECT GOA CABIN TO A MUMBAI LOFT, SMART FLOOR PLANS FILLED WITH STYLE
NAMASTE 2018
THE TRENDS , PEOPLE AND IDEAS THAT WILL DEFINE DESIGN
BATHROOMS THAT MAKE A
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
ON THE COVER
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S LETTER
On one side of designer Vivek Sahni’s dining room is a painted chest from Sri Lanka; above it is a rare 17th-century palampore textile. (‘Garden Cottage’, pg 180)
CONTRIBUTORS
Photographer: Simon Watson
JA N UA RY- F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 8
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D IS COV E R
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ASHISH SAHI
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THE LOFT Step into a modern loft in Mumbai, as AD transforms an office into an open-plan living space. DOT COM Save yourself a click with this curation of products from the trendiest shopping portals on the web. THE GOOD LIFE AD’s selection of luxury products for the fashion forward and the style conscious. WHAT RAHUL AKERKAR DID NEXT The restaurateur who made fine dining successful in Mumbai has big plans for his upcoming restaurant. SEATING PLAN Two designers— one Indian, the other German—are finding new tales to tell with their reimagined Indian furniture.
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FLIPPING THE SCRIPT Godrej’s latest venture, Script, presents multifunctional, stylish furniture to fit into the rhythm of the new generation of Indians. ALONG THE GRAIN Using a cluster of disused grain silos, English designer Thomas Heatherwick created the stunning Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. FEELS LIKE HOME Everyday objects from local indie brands find a fresh flavour with Clove, a new store in south Mumbai. THE NIGHT IS YOUNG Bengaluru’s latest hot spot, 1Q1 celebrates the best of modern, fresh cuisine in an art deco space designed by Khosla Associates.
pg 156
pg 58
pg 37 86 88 93 94 100
NEVILLE SUKHIA
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
pg 86 KOY STORY StudioHAUS—a new design firm from Pune—uses Indian motifs updated to fit a contemporary aesthetic for its furniture and decor. REIGN OF LIGHT For the long-awaited Louvre Abu Dhabi, museum director Manuel Rabaté curated a collection that provided a new context while living up to the museum’s storied name. MASTER OF HIS ART Architect Jean Nouvel created a distinct space for the new outpost of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. INDIA ART FAIR Jagdip Jagpal, the new director of the India Art Fair, outlines her plans to rejuvenate the 10th edition for visitors and galleries in February, with a comprehensive look at the event. OFF THE HOOK Architecture and design firm MuseLab creates an inspired collection of wall hooks based on global architectural icons. BACK TO DHAKA In its fourth year, the Dhaka Art Summit has grown significantly in scale and ambition. This year, the small country aims to further awareness of South Asian art locally and internationally. MODERN EMPIRE DAG Modern’s Kishore Singh provides an exclusive look at life in the gallery on the cusp of expansion, and its 25th anniversary.
contents
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BETWEEN THE LINES Artist Brinda Miller ’s new collection is inspired by her personal connection to architecture. ART & DESIGN PLANNER 2018 AD presents a comprehensive list of the art, design and cultural events for this year.
PERSPECTI VE
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COURTESY ITSUKA STUDIO
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pg 138
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UNORTHODOX BOX Sri Lankan architect Damith Premathilake deconstructs the idea of what a lakeside cabin needs to be with his holiday cabana in Maduru Oya. SMALL IS THE NEW BIG Three architecture firms create unique concept homes to tackle the urban space crunch. NINE TO FIVE The work cabin of a media executive gets a makeover by MuseLab, while he gives finishing touches to his own private den. BEACH SHACK CHIC Goa resort Elsewhere offers its guests heritage living with picturesque views at its beachside cottages. PET PROJECT Explore the designer digs created by some of the world’s best architects for man’s best friend. CABIN FEVER Proving that architecture can be art, small wooden cabins and shelters are finding new buyers as they’re elevated to rare collectibles. THE CASE STUDY One of the country’s most anticipated brands, IKEA makes its entry in 2018 after years of research into what makes the perfect Indian home. MUMBAI VS TOKYO For architect Katsushi Goto, the two cities he calls home react to their populous natures with diametrically differing cultures.
SPACES
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PHOTO: BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES
162 170
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SO HER! If home is where the heart is, then Mansi Poddar—founder of muchloved website Brown Paper Bag—is never away from hers, even when she is. SHIFTED The founder of fashion and home brands Shift and Shift Home, Nimish Shah's Mumbai apartment is accoutred with the designer ’s own minimalist aesthetic. THE BRIGHT SIDE Restaurateur Abhishek Honawar and his wife, Naina Shah, take on the density of Manhattan with their cleverly designed apartment. PARADISO REGAINED Italian architect, Massimiliano Locatelli, finds a home in one of the wonders in Milan’s modern architectural landscape—Torre Velasca. THE GARDEN COTTAGE A melange of antiques and art decorate the cosy New Delhi home of product and graphic designer Vivek Sahni.
contents IN S I D E
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pg 180
ATTENTION TO RETAIL Some bath and home decor brands in India are moving on from product-only display formats to exceptional experiential spaces. RSVP AD invited performance artist Princess Pea to entertain a gathering at Mumbai’s Lodha Altamount; and ended the season in good spirits with two Christmas brunches in Mumbai and Delhi. SCOUTS The low-down on the hottest products and newest launches to hit the market this season. STOCKISTS An A to Z of the stores in our pages. AD10 Abhishek Somany—the managing director of Somany Ceramics—condenses his interests into a top 10 list.
SIMON WATSON
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WATER WORLD AD’s annual bathroom report returns with five curated selections of products inspired by the work of international designers and architects.
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
EDITOR GREG FOSTER MANAGING EDITOR Sanhita Sinha Chowdhury ART DIRECTOR Ashish Sahi ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Almas Jani ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Pallavi Pundir SENIOR FEATURES WRITER Tora Agarwala COPY CHIEF Tyrel Rodricks STYLIST Samir Wadekar PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Shreya Basu PHOTO ASSISTANT Talib Chitalwala WATCH EDITOR Rishna Shah MANAGER SYNDICATION Michelle Pereira SYNDICATION COORDINATORS Giselle D’Mello, Dalreen Furtado DIGITAL EDITOR Nilofar Shamim Haja DIGITAL WRITERS Barry Nathaniel Rodgers, Vilani Senthamil
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Amit Navarange SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Sunil Nayak COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER Sudeep Pawar PRODUCTION CONTROLLERS Abhishek Mithbaokar, Mangesh Pawar
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sunil Sethi Nonie Niesewand Divia Patel Neha Prasada Namita A Shrivastav Divya Mishra Gauri Kelkar Gayatri Rangachari Shah Arati Menon
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ricardo Labougle Neville Sukhia Tom Parker
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR ARJUN MEHRA PUBLISHER Deepa Bhatia ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Malvika Sonie Narayan ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kapil Tolani SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER Nidhi Gaur (New Delhi) ADVERTISING MANAGER Aditi Sharma (New Delhi) SENIOR AD SALES COORDINATOR Varun A Sama ITALY SALES REPRESENTATIVE Angelo Carredu US ADVERTISING MANAGER Alessandro Cremona DIGITAL MONETIZATION DIRECTOR Rohit Gandhi SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGERS - DIGITAL Niti Solanki MANAGER - DIGITAL SALES Diksha Chhabra ASSISTANT MANAGER - DIGITAL SALES Disha Shetty (Bengaluru) MARKETING MANAGER Medha Kapur AGM - ADMIN & SUBSCRIPTION OPS Boniface Dsouza PR MANAGER Amrita Hom Ray HEAD - EVENTS Fritz Fernandes MANAGER - EVENTS Trishala Jailwala, Khushnaz Daruwala CREATIVE DIRECTOR - PRINT Dipti Soonderji Mongia ASSOCIATE PROMOTIONS EDITOR Sherrie A Marker SENIOR PROMOTIONS WRITER Kinjal Vora SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Malavika Atre, Karishma Gupta GRAPHIC DESIGNER Varun Patil COPY EDITOR & WRITER Amrita Katara MANAGER - ALLIANCES Kosha Gala ASSISTANT MANAGER - CIRCULATION OPERATIONS Jeeson Kollannur FINANCE DIRECTOR Amrit Bardhan FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Rakesh Shetty SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Dattaprasanna Bhagwat ACCOUNTANTS Nitin Chavan, Anthony Paulose ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - BRAND SOLUTIONS Poonam Tharar SENIOR PLANNING MANAGER Alisha Goriawala HEAD - HUMAN RESOURCES Lopamudra Ghose MANAGER - HUMAN RESOURCES Mohsin Ismail HR EXECUTIVE Ria Ganguly DIGITAL DIRECTOR Gaurav Mishra DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Kiran Suryanarayana TECHNOLOGY PROJECT MANAGERS Amrita Sudheendran, Dipak Raghuwansi UX DESIGNER Anurag Jain CONVERSION MANAGER Vishal Shah MANAGER - DATA ANALYTICS Udit Jain DATA TECH MANAGER Dilip Patil AD OPERATIONS MANAGER Sujit Jha AD OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE Vartika Sohal AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Saurabh Garg SENIOR MANAGER Vishal Modh SEO MANAGER Sushmita Balasubramanian CRM MANAGER Akanksha Sharma ASSISTANT MANAGER - AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Isha Gupta DIGITAL BRAND SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR Salil Inamdar ASSOCIATE BRAND SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR Abhishek Mehrotra MANAGING EDITOR - DIGITAL BRANDED CONTENT Nisha Samson MANAGER - DIGITAL BRAND SOLUTIONS Nisha Chaudhary (New Delhi) ASSISTANT MANAGER - DIGITAL BRAND SOLUTIONS Maithili Chodankar CONTENT STRATEGIST Shivani Krishan HEAD - ENTERPRISE IT Prem Kumar Tewari DIRECTOR - VIDEO Anita Horam SENIOR CREATIVE PRODUCERS Ishita Bahadur, Evren DSouza ASSISTANT CREATIVE PRODUCER Preshita Saha EA TO MANAGING DIRECTOR Andrea Dsouza
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THE SMALL SPACES ISSUE VIVEK SAHNI NIMISH SHAH MANSI PODDAR
TASTEMAKERS AT HOME
FROM THE PERFECT GOA CABIN TO A MUMBAI LOFT SMART FLOOR PLANS FILLED WITH STYLE
NAMASTE 2018
THE TRENDS PEOPLE AND IDEAS THAT WILL DEFINE DESIGN
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PORTRAIT: R BURMAN
here is a discipline instilled while living in a confined environment that means I’ve learnt a lot while living in some of the tiniest apartments. It started at Oxford, where I shared a classic ‘set’ (a suite of wood panelled rooms once intended for a gentleman and his staff, but in 2001, given to me and my lusty roommate, Samantha). Housed on the piano nobile of Christ Church’s elegant Peck Quad, the 700-square-foot flat was the ultimate student digs—it had a grand living room with Georgian sash windows and two tiny (no more than 10 x 10) bedrooms. At the time, I thought fairy lights were the height of sophisticated interiors, and our little set was famous for our homemade wall installation that spelled ‘Sex’ in neon LEDs—visible from the desks of one of England’s most important libraries. The lesson: lighting can have a transformative impact, and fairy lights are never a good idea. Fresh out of university, I got a major style upgrade but still lived small, moving to a 400-square-foot loft designed by Christian Liaigre on Mercer Street in New York. It was my first brush with a designer interior and, perhaps because of its minuscule size, I absorbed the Liaigre signatures as if I was being brainwashed by the Giacometti lamps. I learnt the power of black and white, the elegance of sheers on thin black curtain rods, and that a daybed that doubles as an actual bed is hyper chic (all three can be found in my current apartment). Later, in London, I tried something new; sharing a large apartment above a Kings Road pub (where I worked two nights a week) with friends. Let’s just say it wasn't long before I hopped to Paris, where I fantasized about a charmed life, living in a chambre de bonne (former servants’ quarters on the top floor of grand Hausmannian buildings). And boy, did I find it. It took two years before I found the gem of a 350-square-foot studio in the 7th arrondissement, which, until last month, I could still call home. This was the apartment that not only intrinsically taught me about interiors, but also inspired me to read voraciously about everything from Robert Mallet-Stevens villas to Jacques Wirtz gardens. But it wasn’t just the epic location that made this the perfect Paris pad—it was the Versailles parquet floor, the three floorto-ceiling French windows, and the classic fireplace with gilded mirror above. Honestly, you could put just a mattress and a pile of books in there and you’d have the cover of a Rose Uniacke catalogue. What living in that tiny space taught me was how to place that pile of books. You see, the placement of objects in a small apartment is everything; the difference between cosy or cramped, between chaos and chic. In a confined environment, the sensitive grouping of objects is something you hone every day until you find a kind of balance, a pleasing aesthetic nirvana. (No, I’m not high.) But which objects? My Paris pied-à-terre also taught me about the edit. If you are only able to fit two or three pieces of furniture, they had better be carefully chosen. I settled then on a single armchair that looked uncannily like an Eileen Gray club, and a series of low, black bookcases, which ran along the walls of the entire studio room, acting as everything from bedside tables to seating for 12. In a studio of this limited size, even a candle (a single Cire Trudon on the mantelpiece) becomes a decor statement. I’ve had a tempestuous relationship with this apartment since leaving Paris nearly three years ago. At first, I gave it up. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, I took it back. I’ve sublet, I’ve pretended it didn’t exist, and I’ve used it as a weekend retreat (albeit a faraway one). But recently, at a time I thought I’d want it most, I’ve not visited at all. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, my affection for intimate spaces reached orgasmic levels when in week three, I discovered the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. Room 353 is actually an interconnecting suite of three rooms on the corner of the building, with original art deco furniture and–swoon–a circular living area in the turret. I could have lived there forever were it not for the eye watering rent. Fortunately, Vikram Goyal told me of the perfect pied-à-terre around the corner. The former couture atelier of Tarun Tahiliani, my Mumbai apartment is no more than 700 square feet, but packs a punch with exposed beams and a studio room with a dual-aspect through bay windows. It’s an architectural gem with soaring ceilings so high that I was able to use two Michael Anastassiades string lights for Flos in an art installation that sees them crisscross and hover at the same low height as the room’s original chandelier. When I first moved in, I had the help of Ashiesh Shah—the first time I’ve used an interior designer—who brilliantly created a daybed (see the connection to my Liagire loft circa 2004) in the alcove of one of the bay windows. Not once have I slept in the bedroom. Since then, it’s been a work in progress. The marble coffee table I was promised last summer never came, nor did the life its designer suggested would accompany it. And despite those Flos lamps, I’m yet to achieve the ambient mood that is key to life in a small space. But the bare bones are there and my new year’s resolution is to finish it fast. Despite its size, it’s the perfect Mumbai apartment and part of the reason that I’m able to–gulp–give up my Paris studio for good. This is home now. Happy New Year!
contributors B J Ö R N WA L L A N D E R photographer
A regular contributor to AD, Björn Wallander’s work can be seen in some of the world’s most widely read magazines. He photographed the New York apartment of restaurateur Abhishek Honawar and Naina Shah in ‘The Bright Side’ (pg 162). “This elegant East Village apartment brings a little bit of India to Manhattan and [the homeowners’] gracious hospitality made me really miss Mumbai!”
R AV N E E T C H A N N A
DIERDRE LEWIS
stylist
A resident of London for the past seven years, Ravneet Channa works as a fashion stylist for Condé Nast India. In this issue, Channa curated a list filled with a range of stylish luxury products. “Working on this issue’s ‘The Good Life’ (pg 68) was great—looking for exciting products for the start of 2018. My favourite are the Tiffany straws; they’re the perfect addition to any bar.”
NA M R ATA BA BU illustrator
A Mumbai-based freelance graphic designer, Namrata Babu experiments with design, trying out various styles and perspectives. For this issue, Babu illustrated floor plans for all the homes featured in the Spaces section (pg 149). “It’s been interesting seeing and understanding how design can be used to create a beautiful experience—even with limited space.”
KISHORE SINGH writer
A seasoned writer and editor, Kishore Singh is currently the president of DAG Modern, in addition to heading its exhibitions and publications programme. In this issue, he writes about a day at the gallery, on the cusp of its 25th anniversary, in ‘Modern Empire’ (pg 110). “I write round the clock, often in the most unusual places—a habit I developed when I began frequenting coffee shops with my portable typewriter to avoid the loneliness of a writer’s study—to the dismay of diners looking for peace and quiet. Fortunately, laptops are quieter!”
MANSI P O D DA R writer
Mansi Poddar is the co-founder and managing editor of the much-loved website Brown Paper Bag. In this issue, she writes about the home of her friend—designer Nimish Shah—in ‘Shifted’ (pg 156). “Writing this story helped me think analytically about a deeply familiar space, and gave me a renewed appreciation for Nimish’s refined, warm aesthetic.”
DELHI SHOWROOM: 218, 223 DLF Grand Mall, Second Floor, MG Road, Gurgaon | Tel: 124-4108800 / 9900 MUMBAI OFFICE: 602, Samarth Aishwarya, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, Mumbai – 400053 | Tel: 022-26371400 / 1500 WWW.RAVISHVOHRAHOME.COM
contributors ADIL H A SA N
SA R A H FOTHERINGHAM
photographer
illustrator
New Delhi-based Adil Hasan studied photography in Auckland and launched his first book, When Abba Was Ill, at the 2014 Jaipur Literature Festival. For this issue, he shot Jagdip Jagpal, the new director of the India Art Fair, in ‘A New Direction’ (pg 94), and Ashish Anand, DAG Modern’s managing director and CEO, in ‘Modern Empire’ (pg 110). “It was humbling to see Jagdip and Ashish, both prodigious specialists in their fields, submit so simply in front of the camera!”
Sarah Fotheringham trained as an illustrator in the UK before moving to India. In 2012, she co-founded Safomasi, a home and lifestyle brand, with partner Maninder Singh. For this issue, Fotheringham created the backdrop for AD’s ‘Art & Design Planner 2018’ (pg 119). “I loved discovering all the amazing events and exhibitions that are on this year; it’s made my travel wish list pretty long!”
TA LI B C H I T A LWA L A photographer
Having worked with AD over the past year, this was Talib Chitalwala’s first issue as part of the team. He photographed artist Brinda Miller in ‘Between The Lines’ (pg 116), and chef and restaurateur Rahul Akerkar in ‘What Rahul Akerkar Did Next’ (pg 72). “Being a travel and lifestyle photographer, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet and photograph Brinda Miller in her studio with her new collection of art, and capture master chef Rahul Akerkar bringing to life a dish from his new restaurant’s menu.”
P R A N A L I PA T E L illustrator
A graduate from the Balwant Sheth School of Architecture in Mumbai, Pranali Patel started her career in the industry with The Busride design studio, and is currently a freelance architect. She says of her illustrations for ‘Small Is The New Big’ (pg 128), “Translating the brief into an illustration and enhancing the concept for each micro-apartment was an exciting experience.”
N O N I E N I E S E WA N D writer
A design writer for British Vogue, House & Garden, and The Independent for over 30 years, Nonie Niesewand wrote ‘Along the Grain’ (pg 78) and ‘Cabin Fever’ (pg 140). “Great contrast in my two commissions for AD. All eyes are on the new Zeitz museum in Cape Town—as the world wakes up to the genius of contemporary African art. And ‘Cabin Fever’ turns small workmanlike shelters into rich men’s playthings.”
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contributors MAT T I A I OT T I photographer
M E H E R VA R M A
writer
Meher Varma is a New Delhi-based cultural anthropologist, writer and brand consultant. When not working, Varma is probably making her way to a secluded beach. When this is not possible, she makes a vacation out of staying at her friends’ houses, preferably when they are not there. In this issue, she writes about staying at her friend Mansi Poddar’s apartment in ‘So Her!’ (pg 149). “Working on the piece about Mansi’s home was natural—like writing an email to a friend. I also got to learn more about Ashiesh Shah’s process, which I have been fascinated by for a long time.”
Milan-based photographer Mattia Iotti regularly collaborates with galleries, architects, designers and brands. Iotti photographed architect Massimiliano Locatelli’s apartment in Torre Velasca, one of Milan’s most iconic buildings in ‘Paradiso Regained’ (pg 170). “The apartment is full of everything you need, and leaves plenty of room for the magnificent windows, geometries that are not obvious and design pieces that blend perfectly with each other.”
M I A LU N D ST R Ö M contributor
The creative director of IKEA Life at Home, IKEA India, Mia Lundström moved to India in August 2015 to help the brand set up in India. For this issue, Lundström explains the concept home the brand created to showcase its products in an Indian context in ‘The Case Study’ (pg 142). “In India, we are working towards understanding how we can help people transform houses into homes.”
PA L L AV I PUNDIR writer
AD’s new Assistant Features Editor, Pallavi Pundir is a former newspaper journalist. In this issue, she runs us through a few new gigs, including the upcoming retrospective on artist Vivan Sundaram in ‘Vivan, Unearthed’ (pg 98). “Coming as an art writer from a ‘hard news’ world, it’s thrilling to work beyond the conventional format. The informal, collaborative relationship with the people we feature manifests in stories that are more than just that.”
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NEVILLE SUKHIA photographer
Mumbai-based photographer Neville Sukhia has shot for clients across the fields of adventure, portraiture, documentary and travel. In this issue, Sukhia enjoyed shooting the loft created by AD in an architecture firm’s office in ‘The Loft’ (pg 37). “It’s always better to shoot in natural light, and the expansive windows at the office helped create the perfect atmosphere.”
STORIES LEFT BEHIND. MOMENTS, HELD IN MY MIND. One more time at The Hong Kong Club. Modern Cantonese dining, entertainment, bar & lounge.
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NOW OPEN
OUR ROUND-UP FROM THE FRONT LINES OF DESIGN: TRENDS, PRODUCTS, STYLES, BOOKS AND EVENTS
(Left) ‘Khanmohamadi’ carpet, The Carpet Cellar. Wicker chair, Peacock Life. Mid-century desk, Phillips Antiques. (On desk) ‘Vide Poches’ tray in the Perspective Cavaliers print, Hermès. Vase, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Modigliani Tête’ sculpture, Designer Studio Collectibles. ‘Lingam’ candle, Design Temple. (Centre) Side table from the Les Necessaires d’Hermès Line by Philippe Nigro, Hermès. (On side table) Marble rhino, KOY. ‘Elevated’ vase by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto, Angel Ventures. ‘LC4-Villa Church’ lounge chair by Cassina, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Tribal Maimani’ kilim, The Carpet Cellar. Framed poster, Filter. ‘Standing Straight’ floor lamp by Casegoods, Le Mill. Satinwood cabinet, Phillips Antiques. Vintage leather trunk (on cabinet), Taherally’s. (Right) ‘Basera’ pouffe by Ashiesh Shah, Urbanladder.com.
THE LOFT Inspired by the Manhattan classic, transforms the new HQ of Mumbai’s reD Architects into the ultimate urban crash pad STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR PHOTOGRAPHER NEVILLE SUKHIA
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‘Ponti Chéri’ dining chairs, La French Studio. ‘Trestle’ table with terrazzo top by Casegoods, Le Mill. Wooden fruit bowl (with lemons) by The Shed, ceramic vase (with flowers) by Claymen, Clove. ‘Celadon Nori’ bowls, ‘Aguada’ oval platter, Nicobar. ‘Open’ candelabra by Jens Fager for Muuto, Angel Ventures. ‘Cosmos’ hand-carved marble candle holders (tall and short), ‘Treetop’ platter (under candelabra), KOY. Acacia bowls, MUJI. ‘Lingam’ candle, Design Temple. Mid-century sideboard, Phillips Antiques. ‘Stretching out after the boss exits from conference room’ framed print by Sameer Kulavoor, Filter.
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(From foreground) ‘Puffy’ pouffe, La French Studio. ‘Khanmohamadi’ carpet, The Carpet Cellar. Midcentury desk, Phillips Antiques. Wicker chair, Peacock Life. ‘Jewel’ platter (pink rectangle), KOY. ‘Focus’ table lamp by Andrea Bergsaker for Muuto, Angel Ventures. ‘H Deco Coffret’ teacup and saucer (part of set), Hermès. ‘Modigliani Tête’ sculpture, Designer Studio Collectibles. Vase, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Lingam’ candle, Design Temple. ‘Mungo Alinga’ curtain fabric from the Malka collection, The Pure Concept. (Outside) ‘Ayama’ deckchair, Reclaimed Stories.
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‘Nerd’ barstools by David Geckeler for Muuto, Angel Ventures. Ceramic vases by Claymen, Clove. ‘Eggpeople’ framed digital print by Shahid Datawala, TARQ. ‘Lotus Leaf’ bowls and ‘Luna’ vase, Nicobar. ‘Navajo’ bowl (with pomegranates), Address Home.
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discover (From left) Side table from the Les Necessaires d’Hermès Line designed by Philippe Nigro, Hermès. ‘LC4-Villa Church’ lounge chair by Cassina, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Tribal Maimani’ kilim (under lounge chair), The Carpet Cellar. Framed poster, Filter. ‘Standing Straight’ floor lamp by Casegoods, Le Mill. ‘Basera’ pouffe by Ashiesh Shah, Urbanladder.com. Satinwood cabinet, Phillips Antiques. Vintage leather trunk (on cabinet), Taherally’s. ‘Falling Cubes’ side table by Manvee Singhal, Crafted by CraftreD. Armyman figure, Mahendra Doshi. ‘Excel’ desk lamp by Rich Brilliant Willing for Roll & Hill, Firefly. ‘Cylinder Cube Sphere’ centre table, Crafted by CraftreD. ‘KOI’ rug (under centre table) and ‘Shibori’ Jenga set, KOY. ‘Trap II’ full-cast resin sculpture by Parag Tandel, TARQ. ‘Blub Vide Poche’ bowl, Saif Faisal. ‘Mia’ sofa, Blue Loft. ‘Grid’ and ‘Marma’ quilted cushions, KOY. ‘Plaid Fetiche H’ (seigle and ecru) throw, Hermès. Mounted art prints from the Anamnesis series by Prasad Naik (behind sofa), dayDREAM. Art deco armchair with cane seat and back, Mahendra Doshi.
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‘Moon’ suspended lamp by Davide Groppi, Firefly. ‘Resting On A Tip’ black marble table by Rajiv Parekh, Crafted by CraftreD. Wooden votives, Freedom Tree. Wooden fruit bowl by The Shed, Clove. ‘Blak’ candle stand, Saif Faisal. ‘Cover’ chair by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto, Angel Ventures. ‘A Part’ framed artwork by Pratap Morey, TARQ.
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discover
For details, see Stockists ‘Velvet Underground’ daybed, La French Studio. ‘Pepin’ console, Blue Loft. Vase, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Jewel’ platter (pink rectangle) and marble rhino, KOY. Framed poster from the Matisse Cut-Outs collection, Taschen. ‘Beehive’ table lamp, Sarita Handa. ‘Ginger’ chair by Roberto Lazzeroni for Poltrona Frau, Poltrona Frau Group Design Center. ‘Kafkash’ kilim, The Carpet Cellar. Production: Temple Road Productions.
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IN THE RED Mumbai’s reD Architects bring their inimitable sense of aesthetics to their new headquarters WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR
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hat happens when you put four architects in one room? More like a 4,000-square-foot warehouse that has been sitting empty for years? “Battles and foot-stomping,” laughs Apoorva Shroff. At the new headquarters of reD Architects in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Shroff sits alongside her partners, Ekta and Rajiv Parekh, and Maithili Raut. Recently shifted from their Parel set-up, the four brought together more than a decade’s worth of experience in architecture and design to their new space. The office opens up to a sprawling workspace, punctuated by long desks, and high wooden ceilings and steel beams. Whimsy and humour are key to the character, translated through cardboard cut-out table lamps or the slate kitchen counter, or even the rubber band sliding doorway. A “play” area at the back, with a small garden and concrete table in the middle, allows for a pause amid the din. The four, along with their private cabins that reflect individual (read: disparate) sensibilities, pool their outputs in the common area, transforming it into a walk-in gallery. “We have a factory that feeds our creativity. However, often, when we create something, it doesn’t necessarily have an audience to take it. And so, this is our platform to put our things out there and for clients to have a look. We keep experimenting and this is our playground,” says Ekta. Reminiscent of their style, which is a “reluctance to stick to one style”, the reD headquarters aims to be an evolving space, one that evokes a “pulsating” energy. “Today, it’s a night market; tomorrow, it could be a football field,” says Raut. “Architecture school will teach you that you don’t have to do much to make a space work as long as there’s light. Then you come into the interior world where everything is about how to decorate the space. These are two conflicting categories. Since we’ve studied architecture and practised interior design, we look at things holistically. It’s easier to plan a space from inside out than outside in,” says Shroff.
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Top: An illustration of the elevation of the office. Above: A view of the outdoor garden at the back of the office of reD Architects in Mumbai’s Prabhadevi neighbourhood; on the handmade concrete table is an ‘Extinct Form VII’ full-cast resin sculpture by Parag Tandel, from TARQ. Left: (left to right) Ekta and Rajiv Parekh, founders of reD Architects, with partners Apoorva Shroff and Maithili Raut. Below: The layout of the office.
1817-2017. 200 YEARS DURAVIT. YOUR FUTUR RE BATHROOM.
DuraSquare. Striking. Precise. Rectangular. The new bathroom series DuraSquare, blends the precise edges of the rectangular outer form with soft, organically owing inner contours. Basins are made from the innovative DuraCeramŽ ceramic creating a look that speaks for itself. For more information: +91 79 66112300, respond@in.duravit.com or www.duravit.in, for technical details visit: www.pro.duravit.in
BAQUERIA
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DOT COM The best is just a click away with ’s picks from online retailers STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
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1. ‘Four Seasons’ vase by Moser, `61,000, Thehouseofthings.com. 2. ‘All Izz Well’ mixed-media artwork by Vandana Kothari, `12,000, Bestcollegeart.com. 3. ‘Västerön’ bench, `5,100, Ikea.com/gb. 4. ‘Sama’ brass trays, `3,500 onwards each, Tiipoi.in. 5. ‘Multicolor Blocks’ carpet, `12,600 onwards, Imperialknots.com.
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Beautifully crafted contemporary furniture and home decor.
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1. ‘Bucket List’ artwork by Rachna Ravi, `700 onwards, Kultureshop.in. 2. ‘Phoenix’ vase (oval), `5,997, Elvy.com. 3. ‘Dhiti’ chair with fabric cover, `15,000, No-mad.in. 4. ‘Toucan’ salt and pepper shakers (pair), `2,060, Notanotherbill.com. 5. ‘Nicki’ centre table, `44,000, Letsfurniture.com.
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1. ‘Fritz’ sideboard, `1,76,400, Iqrupandritz.com. 2. ‘Crane’ wool dhurrie, `13,500, Safomasi.com. 3. Analogue clock, `3,863, Muji.eu. 4. ‘Aston’ table, `5,950, Nsquarestudio.com. 5. ‘Barcelona’ slipcover sofa, `36,900, Gulmoharlane.com. 6. ‘Valerie’ handmade pillow, `9,800, Leahsingh.com.
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discover 1. ‘Mixology’ carpet from the Artisan Originals collection, `32,400, Artisera.com. 2. ‘Storm’ cabinet, `40,080, Freedomtree.in. 3. ‘Branch’ accent table, `8,850, Thelohasmith.com. 4. Planter by Atelier DS, `5,800, Natty.in.
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1 1. ‘Line Metal’ bowl, `790, Objectry.com. 2. ‘Birds of Paradise’ wall plate, `799, Cyahi.com. 3. ‘Kitaplik’ storage unit, `2,45,000, Alankaram.in. 4. ‘Calypso’ chair, `8,500, Madewithspin.com. 5. ‘Brigid’ butter dish from The Lost World collection, `1,770, Ikkadukka.com.
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For details, see Stockists
THE MOST COVETED ADDRESS Perched on the highest point of South Mumbai’s prestigious Altamount Road neighbourhood is Lodha Altamount—a lavish residential property that’s redefining the very premise of opulent living
hen it comes to locations for super-luxury residences, Altamount Road in South Mumbai is the most coveted in India. As the 10th most expensive vicinity in the world, with Kumar Mangalam Birla and Mukesh Ambani making it their home, it has rightfully earned the moniker Billionaires’ Row. And yet, Lodha Altamount—a crowned jewel of the Lodha Luxury Collection, which is an assortment of the group’s most exquisite projects—comes with its own legacy. Built on the premises that was once home to Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir and later known as Washington House, the former residence of the US Consul General, Lodha Altamount stands tall on the highest point of this neighbourhood. Thereby, becoming the most powerful address in South Mumbai. An iconic landmark, whose façade has been designed by Hamburgbased Iranian architect Hadi Tehrani, Lodha Altamount is a vision in glass. Step inside and you’re surrounded by unbridled luxury. The foyer, designed by Rajiv Saini & Associates, is an
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artistic space. Apart from the stylish reception desk and visitors’ lounge and library, it hosts the original La Plage, Juan-les-Pins, painted by none other than Pablo Picasso on August 13, 1937, at Mougins to depict the picturesque Mediterranean beachfront. Acquired through Christie’s, a renowned British auction house, it speaks volumes about the kind people who own a home here. Lodha Altamount ensures that
residents have utmost privacy. With just one apartment spread out over an entire floor, this incredibly posh residential property has a top limit of just 30 elite families. With unobstructed, 360-degree views of the Arabian Sea, each apartment is fully customizable as residents are handed over bare shells that can be designed to meet their personalities, making this project rare as well as thoughtful.
Built on the premises that was once home to Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir and later known to be Washington House, the former residence of the US Consul General, Lodha Altamount stands tall on the highest point of this neighbourhood. Thereby, becoming the most powerful address in South Mumbai. As far as amenities go, think expert hospitality services by St Amand, bellboys, valets and a resident manager. Whether it’s a chef-oncall; housekeeping and laundry services; babysitters and pet care professionals or limousine services; event management and a concierge that’s at your beck and call for everything else—Lodha Altamount aims to spoil you silly. Imagine lounging in a temperaturecontrolled pool while soaking in breathtaking views at The Rooftop Pool and Observatory. Or, visualise yourself making the most of The Club, which is nearly complete with a
private dining/party lounge, a private cinema, an indoor and outdoor kids’ zone, a world-class gym, a ‘his and hers’ health club and a high-tech conference room. However, the good news is that the handover of the residences to its rightful owners has already begun. With just a few homes left, we recommend you book yours before they sell out.
For more information on the limited heirloom residences, call +91 22 61131123 or visit www.lodhaluxury.com/altamount
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THE
‘DATEJUST 31’ (EVEROSE ROLESOR) OYSTER PERPETUAL WATCH, ROLEX
GOOD LIFE From the latest in fashion and design, curates a range of stylish luxury products STYLIST RAVNEET CHANNA
‘THE LADY DIOR’ BAG BY LEE BUL, DIOR
‘HAPPY SPORT’ 30MM AUTOMATIC WATCH, CHOPARD
‘CRAZY STRAWS’, STERLING SILVER, YELLOW GOLD, ROSE GOLD, TIFFANY & CO CALF LEATHER AND COTTON EMBROIDERED MULES, LE MONDE BERYL X MOLA SASA
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FANTASY PEARLS, STRASS, GOLD AND SILVER NECKLACE, CHANEL
‘MARINE ÉQUATION MARCHANTE 5887’ WATCH, BREGUET ‘PURE XS’ EAU DE TOILETTE BY PACO RABANNE, PARCOS
‘ROYAL OAK CHRONOGRAPH’ WATCH, AUDEMARS PIGUET
CERAMIC HORSE HEAD BY BITOSSI, LIBERTY LONDON
‘HAMBERG’ LOWBALL GLASS FROM THE SKETCH COLLECTION BY ZAHA HADID, SELFRIDGES.COM
‘DOUGLAS’ LEATHER HOLDALL, WANT LES ESSENTIELS
CALFSKIN MONK STRAP SHOES, SANTONI
For details, see Stockists
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Restaurant of 2018: Rahul Akerkar is back! The new India Art Fair Back to Dhaka: A preview of the Art Summit Sandeep Khosla’s latest hotspot Modern Empire: DAG opens in London
NAMASTE 2018
ILLUSTRATION: SHWETA MALHOTRA
’s preview of what’s trending in design now
Design Destination: Louvre Abu Dhabi Must See: Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa New Talent: Kunaal Kyhaan Seolekar, Nikita Bhate and Pascal Hien + Thomas Heatherwick, Jagdip Jagpal, MuseLab And: The ultimate culture calendar designed by Safomasi for AD
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what Rahul akerkar did next It’s the most hotly anticipated restaurant of the year, if not the decade. The enfant terrible of fine dining in India, Rahul Akerkar talks about his first restaurant since leaving Indigo WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR . PHOTOGRAPHER TALIB CHITALWALA
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ahul Akerkar is anything but static, be it in movement or thought. The 58-year-old rushes in and out of his kitchen as the aroma of roasted pork ribs wafts in. “We eat like this at home, you know: large plates, multiple ingredients. There’s a lot of olive oil, healthy splashes of herbs. This is the food that I grew up with, and love—robust, hearty,” says Akerkar, who spent his youth shuttling between Mumbai and Manhattan. Akerkar brought Indigo, his first successful standalone fine dining restaurant, to Mumbai almost 20 years ago, and moved on from his company, deGustibus Hospitality, in 2015. He will open his new restaurant (name yet to be announced) in Mumbai’s Lower Parel, a 4,000-square-foot establishment designed by Kapil Gupta of Serie Architects, in March.
Ahead of the launch, Akerkar gives us a preview at his residence. On the menu are: succulent roasted pork belly with pickled baby root vegetables, creamed green apple choucroute and mustard bourguignon sauce; and pan-roasted mackerel, charred cauliflower, cauliflower puree, caramelized fennel and salsa verde with capers, mint and preserved lemon. “All the food that I’ve done has been very in-your-face. Here, it’s a little more hearty, more roll-up-your-sleeves-and-dig-in,” he says, “My flavours are big and clean yet deep and elemental, and my gospel is my commitment to the freshest ingredients available. The new restaurant is no different, and the cuisine—loosely pan-Mediterranean, Mediterraneaninfluenced Italian, or Franco-Mediterranean—will reflect this ethos, expressed with a sense of whimsy and modernity.”
NAMASTE 2018
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SaffronStays Verandah by the Valley, Panchgani
discover The ‘Sancha (Block)’ dining chair (`37,500 onwards). Bottom left: The ‘Barza (Balcony)’ sofa (`1,10,000 onwards). Below left: The ‘Tankan (Block)’ lounge chair (`40,000 onwards). Left: Designers Nikita Bhate and Pascal Hien.
NAMASTE 2018
Seating plan Two designers—one Indian, the other German—are putting a unique spin on contemporary Indian design WRITER DEEPTI UNNI PHOTOGRAPHER SAMEER BELVALKAR
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olourful, intricate and layered; spare, pared down and precise—the design sensibilities of India and Germany could not be more different from each other. But it is this very difference that grants one a unique perspective into the other; after all, you can only see the picture if you are out of the frame. Pune-based product designer and former national-level cyclist Nikita Bhate, and German designer Pascal Hien have collaborated to create Reclaimed Stories—a collection of five pieces of furniture that marry Indian design with western aesthetics in distinctive but covert ways. TRADING STORIES Bhate and Hien met during a scholarship programme at the Fabrica communications research centre in Treviso, Italy. “Through the Fabrica experience, we started to share our interest in different cultures, traditions and unique crafts. This led us into an ongoing conversation about design in general. We share a fascination for unravelling unique stories that come with tradition and history, and we are fascinated by old and often forgotten crafts,” says Hien. Bhate, on her end, found that Hien
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The ‘Ayama’ deckchair (`35,000 onwards). Right: The joinery of the chair was inspired by that of traditional Sankheda furniture. Bottom: The ‘Dasta (Handle)’ dining table (`54,000 onwards). Below: The brass door handles on the top can be moved into multiple positions.
brought a new perspective to indigenous crafts and habits that are unique to Indians. “Many times, being native to a place means being oblivious or not heeding the details in our lives,” says Bhate. “Pascal noticed little details particular to Indians. For example, Indians at home love to sit cross-legged on sofas—which reflects in our traditional diwans being wider than the standard sofa.” This fed directly into one of their five designs, the ‘Barza’ sofa, a piece both thoughtful and playful. The multi-utilitarian lounger aids the many activities a sofa accommodates—a space for eating, working and sleeping while its armrests cheekily reference the uniquely Indian propensity to extend our living spaces, from overhanging balconies to unauthorized street-food stalls. Similarly, the ‘Sancha’ dining chair features hand-carved patterns made by artisans from Pethapur, Gujarat, on wooden blocks used for block printing. “Decoration is such an integral part of Indian culture and I’m happy that we found a way to include it,” says Hien. “We managed to take the old craft of making printing blocks and transferred this technique onto the seat of the chair. We are not just taking something and putting it somewhere else; we are celebrating this ‘unseen hero’, challenging the blockmakers to make something new, and be part of a different direction for their craft.” CULTURAL CONTEXT This philosophy, along with a drive for sustainability and functionality, informs all five pieces in the collection. “These details, which are cultural, are in fact contextual to how we live day to day, and are exactly the things that drive the function of the object. This was an important factor we wanted to bring to the project—‘made in India, made for India’,” says Bhate. But more interestingly, it melds crafts in ways that make the traditional fit into a contemporary mould. Take, for instance, the ‘Ayama’ deckchair. Here, the duo takes inspiration from the joinery detail of Sankheda furniture, otherwise seen in the rigid, decorative high-backed chairs from Gujarat, and the storied ‘Bombay Fornicator’ lounge chair. A long strip of nubuck leather gives it a touch of luxury, but takes nothing from the original insouciance of the armchair. Customers also have the option to customize pieces from the collection with their choice of fabrics, leathers and wood finishes. Bhate is also working on her own brand with Hien’s help. “During the journey of Reclaimed Stories, we often discussed what the true potential could be for Indian design, and that resulted in the development of a brand we will soon launch. [It] is an extension of my current ‘collaborative’ studio, and designed along with, and through, the perspectives of designers from India and around the world.” If Reclaimed Stories is any indication, we could be witnessing the birth of a distinctive new voice in Indian design.
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NAMASTE 2018
Flipping the Script Godrej’s recently launched furniture brand, Script, is changing the rules of space utilization. visits the flagship store in Bengaluru to look at the brand’s philosophy of streamlined, stylish and multifunctional pieces
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ith armchairs that encourage lounging, dining tables that pull out to make room for guests and beds that provide enough spinal support for Netflix and chilling, Godrej’s Script has got the nuances of its target customers’ lifestyles down pat. “With ethnographic research being paired with observation-led studies, we discovered that the Indian millennial is keen on furnishing a space with multifunctional pieces that would, in turn, become intrinsic parts of their life and lifestyle,” says Rajat Mathur, the brand’s business head. Script was conceptualized for the new generation of Indians who live in more compact spaces, with no rigid boundaries between work and living areas. The brand, therefore, needed to cater to both functions as fluidly, and as aesthetically, as possible. The idea was to enable customers to ‘script’ their own space based on how they planned to use it. The design philosophy was clear—the pieces had to be not just functional, but multifunctional. Now, modular workstations that can be assembled and disassembled rub softly-rounded shoulders with armchairs that have hidden lumbar support; smartly-upholstered recliners ensure users can go from working on their laptops to snoozing with a good book; and cleverly nested coffee tables make room for so much more than just coffee. All the pieces have the brand’s pared-down aesthetic that is clean without being clinical. The brand’s first store opened in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar late last year. At an impressive 14,000 square feet spread across three levels, it was designed by American firm, Gensler, and executed by Bengaluru-based Future Research Design Company. The dramatic facade features 29 four-metre-tall louvres that can be manoeuvred to let in light as the day progresses. The ground floor provides an introduction to the brand, explaining the philosophy through prototypes and their backstory. Script is expected to launch two more stores in the coming year—one in New Delhi, another in Mumbai. From top: The ‘Lagoon’ bed features a storage unit and bench on the side, and a pivoting laptop tray. The ergonomically designed ‘Harbor’ armchair encourages users to lie on it sideways, with their legs comfortably draped over its arm. The ‘Sinewy’ dining table, which serves as a fourseater, can easily extend to a six-seater. The colourful and versatile ‘Ritz’ sofa lets you easily lift and rearrange its soft, pure-leather-upholstered modular units.
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discover The exterior of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in South Africa, with The Silo Hotel perched atop it.
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NAMASTE 2018
ALONG THE gRAIN Once the tallest building south of the Sahara, a massive concrete grain silo in Cape Town is now the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, designed by Thomas Heatherwick
PHOTO: IWAN BAAN
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WRITER NONIE NIESEWAND
he gigantic concrete silos built in 1921 on Cape Town’s waterfront—which have stood empty since the 1990s—reopened this fall as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA). Today, its contents are every bit as desirable as the grain it once housed. All eyes are on the art shown here by African artists and those in the diaspora. “Our place in history now is the focus,” says Mark Coetzee, executive director and chief curator. “Everything in the collection is 21st century.” Though a public museum, it houses a private collection belonging to German philanthropist and museum co-founder Jochen Zeitz, along with artworks from the Zeitz MOCAA permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions. British designer Thomas Heatherwick took on the massive challenge of making a world-class museum from a cluster of 116 concrete cylinders, 10 storeys tall. “We had the choice to knock down this huge building of concrete tubes, but felt we shouldn’t just drop in a spaceship of a new building from somewhere else—that we should keep the tubes.” So he ring-fenced them with 80 conventional galleries. They have grey concrete load-bearing floors and ceilings, doors wide enough for huge sculptures, and walls painted with titanium dioxide to absorb any reflective UV light. Some smaller tubular concrete spaces are centres for performing art and photographic exhibitions. The Centre for the Moving Image has five screening rooms for digital videos. >
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PHOTOS: IWAN BAAN (LEFT, TOP RIGHT); ANTONIA STEYN/ZEITZ MOCAA (BOTTOM RIGHT)
A view of the cathedral-like atrium, which greets visitors as they enter Zeitz MOCAA. Right: A view of the tunnels from the atrium. Below right: The Centre for the Moving Image consists of five screening rooms within the original silo tubes.
< “Post-colonial Africa moved straight into the digital age with
mobiles and handheld cameras operated at speed, and we showcase the artists working in this medium today,” says Coetzee. KERNEL OF TRUTH Heatherwick’s inspiration for the museum was a grain of corn he found in one of the silos. “We scaled it up digitally over 10 times to see the honeycomb structure within the tubes, like ventricles. Something you could never make new—not construction so much as deconstruction.” You will see angled cross-sections of those tubes converging above the ovoid central atrium, where a dragon made in rubber by Capetonian Nicholas Hlobo snakes its way through the soaring space. Other notable works in the collection include Ghanaian El Anatsui’s tapestries—collages constructed with textiles and bottle tops—and portraits by Amsterdam-based Marlene Dumas, and Chris Ofili, the Trinidad-based painter who won the Turner Prize. A retrospective of Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai shows an early work, of the fictitious leader of a state stealing from his people. In his Sins of the Father digital video (2016), a collage of surveyed lands with photographs of tribal chiefs, and Cecil Rhodes, who swindled Matabele chief Lobengula of his land, frame a pious young woman wearing a feathered fascinator and pearls with white gloves, as she turns the pages of the Bible. Township jazz music floats through the gallery where William
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Kentridge’s puppet danse macabre More Sweetly Play the Dance plays; and in the museum’s Dust House gallery, where grain was once winnowed, the haunting sound of Verdi’s aria sung by Lord Nelson’s abandoned Caribbean wife features in Yinka Shonibare’s film Addio del Passato. There is both consummate artistry and full-on engineering in Heatherwick’s projects. It is impossible to forget his flaming cauldron, so central to the 2012 London Oympics, or his explosion of shimmering fibreoptics on the UK pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. No stranger to controversy, when his design for a new Parsi tower of silence (dakhma) in Mumbai was unveiled, he posed with a taxidermist’s vulture on his arm for photographer David Bailey. The tower of silence was never built. And then there was the Garden Bridge across the Thames in London, on which the Trust spent £37 million before any building took place, and the project was formally abandoned. Grain silos forcefully shaped an earlier movement in architecture. In 1923, Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier took the concrete silos of the Midwest, photographed by Walter Gropius, to shape his manifesto of modernism, Towards an Architecture. Subsequently, Corbusier’s gouache interventions on those photographs—a precursor to photoshopping—led architect Charles Jencks to critique his work, and to introduce the 1980s’ postmodernism. Now Heatherwick’s deconstructivism heralds a new role for the silo as a repository for art in the 21st century.
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PHOTOS: KUNAL BHATIA
NAMASTE 2018
Feels like Home Samyukta Nair’s new concept store in Mumbai evokes the whimsy of everyday living WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR
Clockwise from this picture: The interiors and exterior of new Colaba store Clove. Founder Samyukta Nair.
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S
cale has never intimidated Samyukta Nair. Before she was drawn to the power patch in Colaba that was once home to Divya Thakur’s cult status Design Temple store, the 32-year-old entrepreneur had big projects to play around with: she co-founded the Michelin-starred restaurant, Jamavar, in London and is the owner of Dandelion, a nightwear range. One of the three scions of the late CP Krishnan Nair—founder of The Leela Group of Hotels—Samyukta already has a lot on her plate. Which is why her first-ever concept store, called Clove (“The condiment is small but the most flavourful and essential part of Indian cooking”), enables her to indulge in the whimsies of everyday living. “I’ve lived between New York and Mumbai and my sensibilities are derived from these cities. Plus, my mother works with design, so I take after her tastes too,” she says. Housed within an art deco structure, Clove is done up to reimagine a home where one doesn’t just visit but linger. At the entrance is an antique table laden with kitchenware, leading to other crannies reminiscent of “lived-in spaces”. Designed by The Busride’s Zameer Basrai—with retail advisor Malika Verma Kashyap, co-founder of Border&Fall, and creative associate Ayesha Kapadia—the store brings together a collection with a keen focus on homegrown brands. One will see independent brands such as Dhruv Kapoor, Aish, Kardo and Lacquer Embassy, to name a few. The space will change according to the team’s creative outputs and collaborations. Home is not all bricks and mortar, and Clove has created one of its own.
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NAMASTE 2018
The night is young Bengaluru-based Khosla Associates designed the new 1Q1 Kitchen and Bar that transforms with the setting sun from a casual eatery into a high-energy hotspot WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR
PHOTO: SHAMANTH PATIL J; COURTESY KHOSLA ASSOCIATES
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orks of art are not created in a vacuum, and principal architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand of Khosla Associates know only too well how to respond to contexts and reinvent them. Their latest project, the 1Q1 Kitchen and Bar, is chiselled out of an abandoned warehouse in the 1930s’ art deco Indian Express building on 1, Queens Road, Bengaluru 500001 (which explains the name). “We picked up on the external facade and created a grand interior— one that evokes nostalgia for a bygone era, but in a contemporary way,” says Khosla. The duo integrated an arched colonnade into the existing fenestrations on the street level, painted in a deep red oxide, which “recalls the visual language of the High Court of Karnataka in the same precinct”. The 20-foot-high ceiling was treated with repeating vaulted arches, and the accent walls in corrugated cement were finished off in a green-oxide pigment. Custom-made chandeliers are crafted with mild-steel pipes with ends fabricated in rings of amber resin, inspired by the branches of trees bearing fruits. Says Khosla of the 8,200-square-foot space, which opened last November, “The various elements make for a heady cocktail of influences—art deco-inspired interiors, a Japanese- and Peruvian-influenced menu (by chef Mako Ravindran), and live music. It has the ability to transform from a light-filled, casual eatery during the day to a potent, high-energy experience at night.”
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KOY STORY Sophisticated and playful in equal parts, this unique, young brand finds its internationalism through an exploration of Indian craft traditions
WRITER KAVERI ACHARYA . PHOTOGRAPHER RITESH RAMAIAH
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NAMASTE 2018
unaal Kyhaan Seolekar is a man who knows what he wants, and how to get it. The dapper Pune-based designer entered the arena in 2012, setting up his atelier, Studio HAUS, with the idea of creating luxury products and spaces that would appeal to a discerning, contemporary clientele. Five years later, Seolekar’s design journey and obsession with high-quality Indian craftsmanship has manifested in KOY—a concept store with an eclectic collection of customizable furniture and lifestyle products that encapsulate the spirit of contemporary India. The brand’s eclecticism is apparent in its name—a play on the ‘koi’ fish, whose sanguine upstream-swimming tendencies are a metaphorical inspiration for Seolekar. The collection is almost entirely handcrafted in-house, with materials sourced from all across the country. Marble, quite literally, forms the cornerstone of KOY’s collection, which draws upon Indian quotidian and spiritual traditions, updating the motifs to harmonize with contemporary aesthetics. The ‘Banana Leaf’ platter, for example, crafted from a rich, jungle-green marble, is a chic take on the banana-leaf plates ubiquitous across south India. The ‘Cosmos Live’ dining table is inspired by the form of the lingam for its legs—its “pillars of energy”, as Seolekar puts it. The use of contrast-tone marble on the legs of the table, juxtaposed with a live-edge wood top, makes for a striking piece that embodies the spirit of chic whimsy. While the execution of the design is taken very seriously, a sense of playfulness underscores KOY’s products, making this brand feel like a breath of fresh air. Seolekar says, “I had always wanted to have my own toy shop. So with KOY’s playful spirit, I’m bringing this dream to life.” The brand has a menagerie of objets d’art—elephants, rhinos, and koi fish figurines in marble and sunrise-hued lacquered fibre. This first collection—which debuted at Maison & Objet in Paris, in September last year—was christened Kindred Spirits, and has since been exhibited at a pop-up at The O Hotel in Pune. The brand retails online as well, and a larger flagship store is in the offing. Seolekar, however, is in no rush to expand, preferring to focus instead on developing a community around the brand. With the sure-footedness of its design vision, KOY is a brand that’s here to stay, and up for play.
The ‘Bone’ sofa (`1,25,000). Left: The ‘Cosmos Treetop’ side table (`70,000). Above left: ‘Cosmos’ small (`3,000) and large (`3,800) candle holders. Top left: The ‘Curve’ chair (`40,000).
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R E I G Unde r its la N winni yered d ome, c ng arc h
O F
hitect Jean Nristened the ‘ ouvel— rain of l adds la ight’, the L yers of i ts own, ouvre Abu Dha proving bi—desig W RI T Musée ER R i t s e d l u f ANIA as more t ned by Pritzker Louvre HABIB . P han just a PHOTO n outpost o rizeGRAP HER M f the OHAM
L I G H T ED
Architect Jean Nouvel designed the Louvre Abu Dhabi from a contextual approach, creating a museum city in the sea.
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SOMJI
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he accolades heaped upon the long-awaited Louvre Abu Dhabi, even before it opened its doors, were a lot to live up to—“The first universal museum in the Arab world”; “A ‘museum city’ designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Jean Nouvel”; “A museum that focuses on shared human stories across civilizations and cultures”; “One of the most ambitious cultural projects in the world”. The feeling that this was the museum that would break down cultural barriers prevailed in the lead-up to its opening, putting Abu Dhabi at the heart of a wider dialogue spanning the region, and the world.
Taking cues from the Enlightenment movement of the 18th century, the cultural institution offers a different take on art history, shifting from a Western perspective to one originating in the Arab world. In other words: what does the history of humanity look like if it is explored from Abu Dhabi, outwards? Further, the Louvre Abu Dhabi aims to demonstrate how, ultimately, all civilizations are connected. Though expectations were high, criticism was expressed in equal measure. To be clear, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is not just a franchise or an outpost of the Musée du Louvre in Paris. It is, for >
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< all intents and purposes, an independent museum
that will carry the Louvre name for the next 30 years and six months—as per the historic agreement signed between Abu Dhabi and France in March 2007. The Musée du Louvre, alongside 16 other French cultural institutions steered by the Agence France-Muséums (AFM)—including the Musée du quai Branly, Château de Versailles, Centre Pompidou and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris—will serve as principal partners to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, sharing expertise and temporary exhibitions for a period of 15 years, as well as loans of artworks for 10 years. CENTRE OF ATTENTION At the heart of the museum’s opening on 11 November was Manuel Rabaté, a soft-spoken Frenchman whose journey with the museum began only a year after the agreement was signed. He joined the AFM in 2008, where he stayed until September 2016, when he was appointed director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. “It’s a big chapter of my life,” Rabaté says. “It’s also a historic moment for Abu Dhabi, the region, the relationship between Abu Dhabi and France, and I would even say for the world.” Indeed, all eyes were on the Louvre Abu Dhabi as it opened its 23 permanent galleries to visitors, taking them on a journey through time, from prehistory through to the present day. The museum’s permanent collection, which currently counts more than 620 works acquired over the course of eight years and spans “the entirety of human existence”, are rotated alongside loaned artworks. The curatorial narrative, says Rabaté, goes beyond traditional typology and museography, which often separate collections according to origin. “We tell a story with artefacts and objects of beauty,” he explains. “We want to connect civilizations and cultures through the mechanism of time.” The galleries, which are subdivided into 12 chapters, are chronological and thematic, beginning with The First Villages, where a Bactrian princess statue from circa the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC is on show. The piece was acquired in 2011 and first revealed to the public in 2013 as part of the ‘Birth of a Museum’ exhibition, which unveiled 130 acquisitions and later travelled to the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Other chapters in the museum’s universal tale include The First Great Powers,
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Universal Religions, Asian Trade Routes, The Magnificence of the Court, and A Modern World. “When you have to tell a story in 600 objects, you make a choice,” says Rabaté, who dismisses any claims of censorship. “The curatorial team has chosen the most relevant objects—so, the questions are not about nudity or religion. Instead, it’s about finding objects with a strong narrative that illustrate a meeting point of cultures.” Artefacts and artworks acquired by the Louvre Abu Dhabi include a Buddha from the Eastern Wei or Northern Qi dynasties, a copper alloy statue of a dancing Shiva from the second half of the 10th century AD, Giovanni Bellini’s evocative Madonna and Child painting from the early 1480s, and nine magnificent blue and white panels by Cy Twombly from 2008, among other historically important pieces. Rabaté also points to the Louvre Abu Dhabi commissions, which have drawn inspiration from Jean Nouvel’s vision of the museum. “They are very important to us,” he says of Italian Arte Povera sculptor Giuseppe Penone’s ‘Germination’, a four-part exhibition featuring Leaves of Light, a vast bronze tree that interacts with the architecture by reflecting Nouvel’s ‘rain of light’ canopy design, and of American artist Jenny Holzer’s For Louvre Abu Dhabi, an installation of three engraved stone walls of text featuring excerpts from historical sources, including Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah and the 1588 annotated edition of Michel de Montaigne’s Essais. SAME, BUT DIFFERENT The first temporary exhibition, ‘From One Louvre to Another: Opening of a Museum’, began on 21 December last year, and is curated by Jean-Luc Martinez, presidentdirector of the Musée du Louvre and head of the scientific council at AFM. It will trace the history of the Paris museum through 145 paintings, sculptures and decorative pieces sourced from the Musée du Louvre and the Château de Versailles. This includes the Barberini vase, one of the first Islamic objects bought by the Louvre at the end of the 19th century. “[The exhibition] explains the process that led the French kings to share royal collections with the public, to turn the palace of the Louvre into a museum,” says Martinez. Though the Louvre Abu Dhabi “owes much to the Louvre”, he adds, “it is not the Louvre. It resembles us, as, in some ways, the Met or the British Museum share values with us—but it’s
PHOTO: MARC DOMAGE © LOUVRE ABU DHABI
PHOTO: MARC DOMAGE © LOUVRE ABU DHABI PHOTO: MARC DOMAGE © LOUVRE ABU DHABI
Top left: For Louvre Abu Dhabi (2017) by Jenny Holzer, engraved on stone. Top right: In total, 55 individual buildings make up the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The dome, 180 metres in diameter, covers the majority of the museum city. Nouvel’s ‘rain of light’ concept consists of eight different layers: four stainless steel-clad outer layers and four aluminium-clad inner layers separated by a steel frame five metres high. Above: The Great Vestibule gallery explores universal themes. Left: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s Fountain of Light (2016). Below left: The auditorium is a stunning study in contrasts—all dark details where the rest of the museum village is about light. Below: Manuel Rabaté, director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
a unique project with a singular identity.” From One Louvre to Another is the first in a series of four special exhibitions per year, which are led by partner institutions. Content is one of the four pillars of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, explains Rabaté, who adds the public, the team and the venue to the list. “It’s incredible—one of Jean Nouvel’s masterpieces,” he says of the design, a series of medina-inspired white buildings covered by an impressive dome measuring 180 metres in diameter. “A museum is always a masterful gesture of architecture because of its longevity and the context in which it’s built.” Set to be part of an ecosystem of cultural institutions on Saadiyat Island, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will neighbour Sir Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The Louvre Abu Dhabi team has been setting the curatorial scene for years, long before the physical space came to be: in 2009, its first acquisitions were presented to the public through ‘Talking Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi’, an exhibition that gave rise to the museum’s Talking Art series, a programme of workshops, talks and concerts organized jointly by TCA Abu Dhabi (the government entity developing the museums on Saadiyat Island) and AFM to engage audiences in the prospect of the museum. The goal of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Martinez says, is simple. “To recognize that there is a human brotherhood that transcends all differences and expresses itself in our ability to create.” On his part, Martinez rebukes critics of the project by highlighting the civilizational, diplomatic and scientific ambitions at the heart of this multimillion-dollar deal. “The UAE appealed to France to benefit from a transfer of cultural competences, and France accepted this outstretched hand,” he says. “This state-to-state approach has no equivalent. In an era marked by the upsurge of fanaticism, the aim of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is to show visitors that the knowledge of one’s own roots and heritage, as well as the knowledge of other foreign civilizations, enables you to better yourself and to be open-minded.” As for the financial compensation? “This will make it possible to make long-term investments to modernize the Musée du Louvre.” Filled with an understandable sense of pride following the launch, Rabaté leads a team of 45—and counting. The museum is following a strategy aimed at building a team of Emirati museum professionals as part of its curatorial corps, which, he says, takes time. “It’s a bet on culture, on education and on tourism—what’s wrong with that?” says Rabaté of the project. “It’s about understanding and shaping a country, and it’s in keeping with the founding ideas of the UAE. We are building a world-class museum and everyone is energized, and believes in the shared values of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It’s a wonderful thing.”
PHOTO: MOHAMED SOMJI
The frame Jean Nouvel designed for the Louvre Abu Dhabi dome is made of 10,000 structural components pre-assembled into 85 supersized elements, each weighing up to 50 tonnes.
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MASTER OF HIS ART The brief: create a building worthy of the Louvre name, imbued with Middle Eastern majesty, that would redefine Abu Dhabi’s standing on the global cultural scene. The only man for the task: Pritzer Prize-winner Jean Nouvel WRITER RHEA SARAN France, it’s impossible not to ask how that particular bit of context comes into play. “The Musée du Louvre was established in a royal palace, with royal architecture, so this [Louvre Abu Dhabi] is palatial in a way—in a very subtle way, of course; it is never a direct reference,” Nouvel says. “I had the Musée du Louvre in mind, as well as the city of Abu Dhabi, Arab culture and the awareness of organizing a universal meeting point.” Among the 55 low-lying, angular white buildings—signposted in Arabic, English and French—are 23 art galleries; others house a temporary exhibition space, a children’s museum, restaurants, a 200-seat auditorium and some retail areas. Nouvel was also deeply involved in the interiors of the museum— what he calls “complete design”—having designed furniture for the restaurant and cafe, as well as the auditorium; the last is a stunning study in contrasts, all dark details where the rest of the museum village is about light. In the galleries, his involvement extends to display cases. “Often, showcases are too small—the artworks seem like they are in prison. The aura of the artwork is important; the placement of objects in a space is important,” he explains. “It’s like a music composition. We’ve gone geometrical, very light, just to accentuate the rhythm of the place and the hierarchy of the objects. The cases aren’t totally glass so they disappear; we’ve accented the edges. And they are large; the objects inside can breathe. This composition of the showcases is complementary with the larger architecture.” This design philosophy is further accentuated by the occasional glass wall between galleries, and skylights—a tricky proposition when the quality, and quantity, of light plays such a large role in both showcasing and protecting artworks. The skylights also allow visitors glimpses of that famous dome. Asked if he worries the dome will compete for attention with the art, Nouvel shakes his head. “When you are in a museum, very often, you don’t know where you are; you’re in a kind of box. I think it’s important to create a sense of place for the artworks, they have to be somewhere.” Nouvel says he envisioned the museum in a state of evolution, translating as flexible design in the galleries for loaned artworks that will transition every year, but also in the overall concept: “In the next few decades, they could add more buildings,” he says, “like a city, ever growing.” PHOTO: ERIC FOUGERE/GETTY IMAGES
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ontrasting sharply with the stark, cuboid structures he designed behind him, Jean Nouvel cuts a striking figure in his customary all-black uniform. We are standing under the expansive, intricate and, yes, majestic dome that won the Louvre Abu Dhabi the most attention in the lead-up to its opening. It’s unsurprising, since you can see it gleaming under the sun from Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Highway, which connects Saadiyat Island, where the Louvre sits in the developing Saadiyat Cultural District, to Abu Dhabi’s mainland. But it’s not quite the same as standing right under the 180-metre feat of design and engineering—said to weigh more than the Eiffel Tower—and realizing that ‘rain of light’ is really the only way to describe the shifting shafts of sunlight dappling through its eight starlatticed layers. It has been conceived in such a way that the light patterns are ever-changing. “You’ll never see the museum in exactly the same light twice,” Nouvel says. “To me, geometry and light are always the cornerstones of grand Arab architecture— mosques, palaces, meeting places, majlis and riads in the medinas. I wanted a reinterpretation of it all, with the starting points being geometry and light.” Light, of course, is one of the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s pet obsessions. When he built the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, 30 years ago, Nouvel’s design for the facade included photo-electrically sensitive apertures inspired by the traditional Arabian mashrabiyya, a masterful fusion of age-old design heritage and modernity. As we walk together through the space, it more closely resembles a village or a neighbourhood than a conventional museum, and this is intentional. “This place belongs to the territory and its history,” he says, “The symbolism is that it links to Arab culture, like little buildings inside a medina, with narrow streets, a play of shadows.” Three walls are engraved in Arabic text by American artist Jenny Holzer, who was inspired by passages in books such as Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah from the 1300s. “Inscribing on buildings is present in Islamic architecture,” says Nouvel. “For instance, there is a tradition of putting content on the walls in Cairo. This depth in the architecture itself is a link between art and architecture.” When a French architect is charged with designing a museum bearing the same name as arguably the most celebrated institution in
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NAMASTE 2018
A NEW DIRECTION As the India Art Fair’s new director, JAGDIP JAGPAL walks us through her plans for the fair’s 10th iteration in New Delhi
PHOTOGRAPHER: ADIL HASAN. STYLIST: RUHANI SINGH. LOCATION: RAW MANGO.
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hen I was offered the role at the India Art Fair (IAF) in August 2017, I didn’t have the heart to tell my mother that I would be moving from London to New Delhi. I had just come off the New North and South programme, an exchange between 11 art organizations from South Asia and England, and was working on a UK-Africa project. I’ll admit I had second thoughts. However, after a flurry of activities, I just knew it was an opportunity I could not turn down. I pulled out 12 blue Cos dresses, booked Mr Singh’s B&B, set the TV satellite box to record my favourite shows and relocated to India on 10 days’ notice. When I arrived at Friends Colony West, Mr Singh promised that I would be treated like family. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. Having worked in and out of India over the past three years, I know this is where the future lies. I spent the first few months reaching out to Indian galleries who were missing in action on home turf but were participating in international fairs. If the likes of Chatterjee & Lal and Jhaveri Contemporary aren’t at IAF, I would not consider it the IAF. I’m delighted to say that these influential galleries are back. We are also working on a strategy for inviting blue-chip international galleries, who will showcase their globally recognized non-Indian artists to local audiences, many for the first time. I am particularly delighted to be working with David Zwirner; they are bringing in new works that have not been offered for sale previously Moving away from the traditional format, with talks and panel discussions, by 2019, we hope to transform the space into our interpretation of a ‘black box’—one that is versatile enough to host performances, digital art works and pop-up events. For this, I have taken inspiration from the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, playing Thukral & Tagra games at Khoj, Nikhil Mehta’s theatre, and Asif Kapadia’s storytelling, among others. As someone who has worked internationally and is now working in India, I would love to see South Asian artists get the recognition they deserve. It was partly the lack of it, particularly from the UK, that drove me to India. Wouldn’t it be great to see someone like Nikhil Chopra as the next ambassador to the UK! In other news, I think my mother has forgiven me; she’ll be moving here very soon. In the short time that I have been here, India has been good to me. You’ll be pleased to know that Mr Singh was right: I finally found an apartment and you’ve guessed it; it’s at Mr Singh’s B&B.
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NAMASTE 2018
india art fair preview From the big international presence to the comebacks and cutting-edge concepts—here’s what you need to know about the 2018 edition of the fair SUBCONTINENTAL DRIFT
FOREIGN INVASION
Galleries such as Jhaveri Contemporary, Latitude 28, Chatterjee & Lal and Threshold, which were no-shows at IAF over the last few years, will be making an appearance, albeit with a renewed sense of zeal. Mumbai’s Chatterjee & Lal, for one, will be making an impact with Nasreen Mohamedi’s abstract works from the 1980s, and new seascapes by Nikhil Chopra, among others.
Of the 16 leading international galleries (as opposed to 12 last year) making a pit stop at IAF, we have some new entrants: Mo J Gallery (Busan), Gabinete de K20 Arte (Rio) and Richard Koh Fine Arts (Singapore). The cherries on the cake are Blain Southern and David Zwirner; the latter has a selection of new works byYayoi Kusama (the ‘grand dame of Japan’s art world’) and American artist Kerry James Marshall, among others.
Yayoi Kusama with her installation With All My Love for The Tulips, I Pray Forever (2012)
IMMERSE YOURSELF
The interactive Art Projects, a conspicuous presence at the fair given their scale and conceptual framework, will have commissioned works by formidable names from the subcontinent and beyond such as Shilpa Gupta, Bharti Kher, Ravinder Reddy, Timothy Hyunsoo Lee, Imran Qureshi and Francesco Clemente, among others.
Let This Stormy Sea Find a Shore (2017), Imran Qureshi
COLLATERAL AFFAIRS
IAF sees a number of parallel events associated with the platform in New Delhi. The ones to watch out for include a Khoj exhibition with 20 prominent contemporary names such as Sahej Rahal, Kartik Sood and Pallavi Paul; minimalist Zarina Hashmi’s solo at Gallery Espace; and Anju Dodiya’s new show at Bikaner House. Tasbih (2017) by Zarina Hashmi
This edition of the IAF will take place at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, NSIC Bhawan, Okhla Industrial Estate, New Delhi, from 9 to 12 February 2018
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WITH ALL MY LOVE FOR THE TULIPS, I PRAY FOREVER: © YAYOI KUSAMA. COURTESY OF DAVID ZWIRNER, NEW YORK; OTA FINE ARTS, TOKYO/ SINGAPORE/SHANGHAI; VICTORIA MIRO, LONDON; YAYOI KUSAMA INC. WORKS FROM THE REHEARSAL ACTS SERIES: COURTESY NIKHIL CHOPRA AND CHATTERJEE & LAL. TASBIH: COURTESY GALLERY ESPACE. LET THIS STORMY SEA FIND A SHORE: COURTESY NATURE MORTE, NEW DELHI.
Untitled works from the Rehearsal Acts series (2017) by Nikhil Chopra
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NAMASTE 2018
Vivan, Unearthed
PHOTO: IDRIS AHMED
Right: Box 2: Mother from The Sher-Gil Archive. Far right: House/Boat. Below right: Boat, from Postmortem. Bottom right: Vivan Sundaram. Bottom left: Allegorical Landscape, from Long Night. Below left: Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrection 1946.
Ahead of his retrospective at New Delhi’s Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Vivan Sundaram talks to ’s PALLAVI PUNDIR about the disparate worlds that inhabit his 50-year oeuvre
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o encapsulate the latter half of Vivan Sundaram’s 50-year oeuvre with a single definitive artwork, consider Black Gold. The piece, which made its first appearance at the 2012 Kochi-Muziris Biennale, ticks off the crucial elements often found in a large spectrum of the 75-year-old’s works. It makes use of the site-specificity of the space given to him, which feeds on the material and history provided by the location. Black Gold forms part of his upcoming mid-career retrospective at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, titled ‘Step Inside and You are No Longer a Stranger’, on from 8 February to 30 June. A part of the exhibition will travel to Munich’s Haus der Kunst from 29 June to 7 October. Sundaram’s body of work encompasses diverse mediums.
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“The title comes from a 1976 painting, which points to my move towards installation art, a crucial element in my body of work,” he says. The starting point is 1966, when he was a student at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, when “pop had begun and we were countering an earlier aesthetic of modern Indian art”. Then, 1966 to 1970 covers his time at the Slate School of Fine Art in London. His move to India is defined by a figurative narrative style and the formation of Place for People, a collective that came up in 1981, comprising Bhupen Khakhar, Nalini Malani, Gulammohammed Sheikh and Sudhir Patwardhan. “I have tried to sum it all up within the scale that I have been given. But of course, retrospectives are never complete. However, every tension, every crossover, I have done these expressively,” he says.
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OFF THE HOOK Houses or hooks—the boys from boutique architecture firm MuseLab can take on either. Their latest line of products, a series of wall hooks, are cleverly scaleddown odes to the architecture they—and we—love WRITER TORA AGARWALA PHOTOGRAPHER SAMEER TAWDE
D
esign, at the end of the day, is about solving problems. They may be big; think towering skyscrapers. They may be small; think humble doorknobs. However, for the folks at MuseLab, it is but a matter of proportion. In their latest line of products—which includes a series of wall hooks—the duo scales down life-size architectural structures to minuscule ones that can hang on your wall. “Because we are architects, even the products that we end up making are inevitably architecturally inspired,” says Jasem Pirani. Pirani and his partner Huzefa Rangwala, the architects who set up design studio MuseLab, met as students in America many moons ago. In a fashion typical of young people, the night they met was built (and later remembered) on the foundations of plans to collaborate and possibly, make and do great things together. In a world where plans are often broken, and numbers are exchanged without any intention of using them, the trajectory of Rangwala and Pirani’s partnership was unexpected. Many moons later, they sit in their Mumbai studio, surrounded by the plethora of products they have created. Light filters in through the perforated jali-inspired metal screen facade that encloses their workspace, giving it an edge over the regular steel-shuttered offices around. “Architecture opens up many avenues,” says Pirani. MuseLab was
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NAMASTE 2018 started in 2014—and while the two are busy with their architectural venture, they don’t consider their foray into products a conscious decision, nor a marked departure from what they initially set out to do. “We had some down time,” says Rangwala, “and working for a brief of our own was fun.” They tinkered with materials for ages before they identified what they really wanted to work with: birch ply. “It’s important to really know and like the material you are working with,” he says. The affinity is apparent. Every bit of MuseLab—the space they inhabit, the products they create—is made out of birch ply. In their wall hook series, they simultaneously address two passions: architecture and travel. “Wall hooks generally look really mundane,” says Rangwala, “And that got us thinking: how could we make a wall hook look like an accessory even if there was nothing hanging on it?” They turned to what they loved—and knew—best: buildings. The Palace of Assembly from Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh Capitol Complex was an obvious choice. And so was Charles Correa’s Kanchanjunga— “It’s a structure that we have grown up admiring”. While shortlisting buildings, they remembered that they shouldn’t be choosing them based on purely aesthetic reasons—functionality is perhaps the most important component of product design. “The building needed to work as a wall hook!” That’s why New York’s Empire State Building (“too slender!”) was dropped for Oscar Niemeyer’s Mondadori building. Another hook was based on Michael Graves’s Denver Public Library; “[It was] probably the most difficult out of the four: Graves’s plays with a lot of colours, and it was hard to imagine that in the staid shades of birch ply”, says Rangwala. Hard but not impossible. In their other products, laser-cut and then assembled by hand, the duo has diversified into coasters, trivets, notebooks, and hangers— ordinary objects, designed with extraordinary sophistication. They really are, as kids these days like to say, off the hook. One of four hooks in the series is based on Charles Correa’s landmark Mumbai structure, Kanchanjunga (`1,000 onwards).
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NAMASTE 2018
In its fourth year now, the Dhaka Art Summit has grown significantly in scale and ambition. With this year’s edition, the small country aims at furthering awareness of South Asian art locally and internationally WRITER PHALGUNI DESAI
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To be held at its traditional venue, the Bangladesh Shilpakala he fourth edition of the Dhaka Art Summit (DAS) rolls Academy, the DAS this year is “shifting focus to look East, at around from 2 to 10 February this year. The popularity of crossovers between South and Southeast-Asian art histories”, the last three editions has led to its organizers—head says Campbell-Betancourt. She has herself curated two sections: curator Diana Campbell-Betancourt, and Nadia and Rajeeb ‘Bearing Points’ and ‘The Asian Art Biennale in Context’. Bearing Samdani of the Samdani Art Foundation—to extend the Points, she says, “weaves together all the ideas of the summit and three-day programme into a nine-day event bookended by serves almost as compass points to reorient how we weekend symposia. These series of talks follow the pattern of the three previous editions, and bring The Dhaka Art think about South Asia outside of the national of countries comprising the region”. Other together some of the best minds in the art Summit rolls ideas sections include ‘Total Anastrophes Volcano industry—artists, curators, and academics from around from 2 to 10 Extravaganza’ put together by Italian curator and Bangladesh and the rest of the world. This year’s summit will showcase work by February this year. writer Milovan Farronato with UK-based Bangladeshi artist Runa Islam; ‘A Utopian Stage’, approximately 300 artists, two-thirds of whom are from Bangladesh, according to Campbell-Betancourt. A third of curated by UK-based Vali Mahlouji; ‘Expression of Time’, an intergenerational group exhibition of Bangladeshi art put the work on display will be newly commissioned, she adds. together by M Muniruzzaman, the director of the National Art While a number of Indian artists find themselves in many of the Gallery in Dhaka; and ‘One Hundred Thousand Small Tales’ by curations, she hopes to slowly shift focus to artists from the rest Sri Lankan publisher and curator Sharmini Pereira. Also planned of South Asia and explore Bangladesh and its more immediate are architectural tours around the work of the renowned neighbours. “It’s time to re-chart Bangladesh because it has a architects Muzharul Islam and Louis Kahn. distinct [art] history to India. And when compared to India, Bangladesh gets swallowed up by the economic forces such as an art market and political capital that give Indian art far more Above: Studies in Form, Dhaka Library (#1) cyanotype monoprint, 2017, mobility than Bangladesh,” says Campbell-Betancourt. by Seher Shah and Randhir Singh.
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COURTESY SEHER SHAH AND RANDHIR SINGH
BACK TO DHAKA
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DHAKA: THE HIGHLIGHTS
Samdani Architecture Award An exciting first in many ways, the Samdani Architecture Award launches with DAS 2018. Taking a cue from the Samdani Art Award, the Architecture Award looks at promoting young Bangladeshi architects. The award is based on designs received via an open call, to create educational spaces in abandoned areas using locally available and ecologically sustainable material. The winner of the first award is Maksudul Karim, and his winning design—essentially a pavilion-like space—is called Chhaya Tori (or Shadow Boat). It utilizes traditional sampan-making techniques, and serves as a nod to Bangladesh’s geography, which is criss-crossed with rivers that make waterways an important transport system for the country. Karim’s design will be built to house what Campbell-Betancourt calls the DAS’s “free pop-up art school”, adding, “DAS is an education exercise; this pavilion drives that idea home.”
IMAGES COURTESY MAKSUDUL KARIM AND THE SAMDANI ART FOUNDATION
This picture and left: Renderings of Chhaya Tori (Shadow Boat) (2017), by the winner of the Samdani Architecture Award, Maksudul Karim.
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The Paris-based art historian and scholar returns to DAS (she was previously involved in the 2016 Critical Writing Ensembles), this time with an exhibition predominantly of Indian and Bangladeshi artists, based on American architect, designer, theorist and writer Buckminster Fuller’s 1969 Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture titled Planetary Planning. The lecture laid down Fuller’s vision for comprehensive global planning, which could result in helping all of humanity to live with freedom, comfort and dignity, without negatively impacting the Earth’s ecosystems or regenerative ability. Through the work of artists Desmond Lazaro, Zarina Hashmi, Ayesha Sultana, Lala Rukh, and the late Bangladeshi artist Mohammad Kibria—also known as Bangladesh’s Gaitonde—and many more, Singh hopes to explore the challenges made to fixed identity and inherent hierarchies in notions of world-making as articulated in South Asia.
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
COURTESY KIBRIA FAMILY (© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2017)
COURTESY AYESHA SULTANA AND PRIYANKA & PRATEEK RAJA COLLECTION
COURTESY DESMOND LAZARO
Planetary Planning, curated by Devika Singh
Clockwise from above: Garden (1961) by Mohammad Kibria. Part of the ‘Planetary Planning’ exhibition curated by Devika Singh, this scratched photograph from the Threshold series is by Ayesha Sultana (2012-2013). Gold, Glory & God, World Making (2017), icosahedron after Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion map, by Desmond Lazaro.
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Raqib Shaw
The Adoration (After Jan Gossaert) (2015-2016), and (right) Kashmir Danaë (20162017), both by Raqib Shaw.
COURTESY OF RAQIB SHAW AND WHITE CUBE
The inaugural artist of Bearing Points, Raqib Shaw is a Kolkata-born artist, who spent his formative years in Kashmir, before he eventually moved to England as a practising artist. Shaw decodes myths from and about India and South Asia for a modern audience. For CampbellBetancourt, his inclusion in this section is an important one. “Bearing Points is also about cultures flattened out by nationbuilding. The works also warn of the dangers of fundamentalism and celebrate the creative potential of hybridity.”
Seher Shah and Randhir Singh
Studies in Form, Dentsu (#5), by Seher Shah and Randhir Singh.
COURTESY SEHER SHAH AND RANDHIR SINGH
Artist Seher Shah collaborates with her husband, photographer Randhir Singh, for a series of cyanotypes titled ‘Studies in Form’. Through it, they explore architecture, photography, drawing, printmaking, and concepts of architectural scale and sculptural intent. To do so, they look at five buildings: New Delhi’s Akbar Bhawan, UK’s Barbican and Brownfield Estates, Tokyo’s Dentsu building, and the Dhaka University Library, built by the master of regional modernism, Muzharul Islam. Blind Map (2013) by Vietnamese artist Truong Cong Tung, is part of curator Cosmin Costinas’ exhibition titled ‘A Beast, a God, and a Line’.
A Beast, a God, and a Line, curated by Cosmin Costinas Another step towards creating a new art discourse around Bangladesh and its Southeast-Asian neighbours is the inclusion of Hong Kong-based curator Cosmin Costinas, who is also the Executive Director of Para Site, Hong Kong. Built as a travelling exhibition, A Beast, a God, and a Line considers Bengal’s position as being at the centre of different geographical networks (by land and sea), and reflects on the movement of people and their cultures and ideas, the sustained effect these movements had on Bengal, and the effect Bengal had on them.
Elizabeth Drury, Mirage, Graphite on Paper, 44.8 x 32.6 in, 2017
OBJECTS IN TRANSITION: ELIZABETH DRURY JANUARY 31 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 17, 2018 Based upon the traditions of still life, Elizabethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawings play upon the push and pull of perception, the uncertainty of memory and the anxieties of change through the manipulation of objects over time. The abstracted, often repetitive objects play upon the desire for perceptive control and anthropomorphic familiarity in unsettling psychological spaces. Through their cathartic rendering, objects are dragged through sets that sit somewhere between banal reality and playful childhood illusion. Akara Art, 4/5 Churchill Chambers, 32 Mereweather Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400001 | +91 22 22025550 | www.akaraart.com
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NAMASTE 2018
modern empire As DAG Modern prepares to open landmark outposts in London and New Delhi, its director KISHORE SINGH takes readers through a day at the gallery—founded by Ashish Anand— that has spent 25 years at the top of the market for blue-chip Indian art
DAG Modern managing director and CEO Ashish Anand at the New Delhi gallery.
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PHOTOGRAPHER: ADIL HASAN. STYLIST: RUHANI SINGH.
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onday mornings are chaotic in any workplace, but at DAG Modern, they’re pitched at varying levels of insanity. The in-house exhibition designer is in the middle of a meltdown because the architectural drawings for our upcoming London gallery haven’t been printed ahead of a video conference with the contractor. The resident sales team wiz flutters in, looking pale. “I have a client coming in for a viewing,” he says, “There’s nowhere quiet for a meeting.” He’s left to his own devices, however, because the vicepresident of operations has summoned all heads of department into the conference room for a first look at the new safety software for the warehouse that stores, arguably, India’s largest collection of modern art in private hands. Next to the reception, the expert who conducts workshops for the differently abled is trying to bring order to an excited bunch of vision-impaired kids, brought in to experience art with the help of tactile aids. Meanwhile, the head of the archiving department barges in to ask why she wasn’t informed about a commissioned film on the late Chittaprosad Bhattacharya. “What are these?” she says, pointing to the tin boxes with rolls of film that, once sent to a lab in Chennai for processing, will turn out to be a silent, incomplete film from the 1960s that none of us even knew existed. Before it’s noon, the logistics team will want a brief about the shipping details for works being sent to the gallery in New York, insurance for the works being loaned to a quadrennial in >
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PHOTOGRAPHER: DEEPSHIKHA JAIN
Clockwise from this picture: DAG’s Mumbai art gallery in Kala Ghoda was extensively renovated to highlight its period appeal. The iconic Man and Woman Laughing by FN Souza was on view at the India Art Fair (IAF) last year in a specially created room. Spread over four levels, the second floor at DAG Mumbai houses its offices. An island booth at Art Basel Hong Kong shows off DAG’s collection of modern art in a display with no blind walls to cut off the visual experience. The juxtaposition of works of art at DAG’s booth at IAF.
PHOTOGRAPHER: DEEPSHIKHA JAIN
< Germany, and the status of customs clearance for a consignment on its way back from a biennale in Shanghai. “Guys,” the social media coordinator raises her voice above the din, “who’s got the dates for the seminar in Dhaka?” The art fair planner wants to know if she can attach a list of selected works for the Dubai Art Fair, but no one’s listening as the reconnaissance group is leaving for a day’s visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. By afternoon, the text for the invitations would have been cleared, the list of speakers for a course in art appreciation shared, certificates with condition reports and provenances corrected, a talk for a bunch of art students handled, and a meeting with the film-maker shooting a documentary on “India’s Rockefeller Artists” scheduled. Ready to call it a day? Uh oh, the boss wants an urgent meeting on who’s looking into the India Art Fair 2018. That’s when the business development head walks in to remind everyone of the curated art walk for a group of ultra high networth individuals curious to learn more about art. I can guarantee someone will sigh enviously during the course of the evening: “Sipping champagne and looking at art—how I envy your life!” Yeah, right. With a staff of 150 and growing, DAG is where art-mad people gravitate naturally towards. Its inventory of several thousands keeps them both rooted, and in a state of perpetual euphoria. You’ll often find the research team stupefied by a watercolour the self-taught KH Ara painted when he was 15, or a sketchbook by Raja Ravi Varma with drawings that are studies of some of his best-known paintings. And, oh, is that an early work by Meera Mukherjee? The words “most”, “iconic” and “early works” are thrown around casually as its CEO and visionary Ashish Anand sets out to build one of the “most” important art institutions in the world (yes, not just in India!) that traces the development of 20th-century Indian art: all through Bengal School revivalism, the Progressive Artists’ Group, the seminal Group 1890, and so on, and curating extensive exhibitions on genres— from portraits to landscapes—upon which much of art narrative is based. Elsewhere, in other departments, the only figures they’re interested in are the kind that make investors drool—the records being set, whether by Leonardo da Vinci in New York, where his Salvator Mundi sold for a shade under `3,000 crore, or VS Gaitonde’s Untitled, which, at a little under `30 crore, holds the Indian record. Rare works, rarer values, but a continuum of surprises—there are exhausting days at DAG, but never a dull one. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the company: no small feat in the business, but a small feather in the institution’s cap, which has readied plans to grow at a pace that will make the previous quarter century look like a drag. A mega art museum opens at the end of this month at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in Delhi, with a series of exhibitions, the scale of which has never been attempted before: 1,500 works in over 15 curated exhibitions, a global conference with big names from the world of collecting, curating and research, over a month. Later in the year, DAG will open new galleries: one in Delhi at a prime location, followed by another in London as part of an ongoing exercise that should see galleries in Dubai, Hong Kong and Palo Alto by 2020. No wonder, a rebranding exercise is underway; a 25th birthday calls for a repositioning of identity, right? And also the opportunity to announce new silos with which it is becoming associated—a foundation to work with museums and institutions overseas; an auction house as a separate business; a number of specific city-based museums, maybe; and some things we’d like to keep secret, but which we’ll announce soon enough, hold your breath. But through it all, it is the art—some of the most stunning works by India’s masters—that keep the spirit of excitement alive. Meanwhile—oh my, is that a sculpture by Amrita Sher-Gil? Got to go, I’ve never seen one by her; but neither has anyone else, I’ll wager.
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Between the Lines Artist and former director of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai, Brinda Miller’s new show—‘A Vanishing Point’—merges architectural elements with her abstract urbanscapes WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR PHOTOGRAPHER TALIB CHITALWALA
O
ne must tread carefully inside Brinda Miller’s 700-squarefoot Mumbai studio. There are artworks lying everywhere—on walls, a table and stools—heck, even on the floor in the form of a carpet. You sit on a bench; she’s made it. That antique chair with the kitschy cushions? It’s art. But make yourself comfortable anyway. “I like to call this my own organized mess,” laughs the 57-year-old. “It’s like my life in Mumbai—so busy and chaotic.” Today, though, the “mess” is a collection of her new artworks, created over the past year, for ‘A Vanishing Point’, her upcoming exhibition at Mumbai’s Tao Art Gallery, which runs from 4 to 24 January. A textile design graduate from the Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai, and with a drawing and design degree from the Parsons School of Design, New York, Brinda’s work has metamorphosed from formal landscapes to abstractionism. Textiles, which form the foundation of her aesthetics, feature in her works too— superimposed, imprinted or stencilled. This time though, for her 16th show, Brinda has incorporated a new element, or rather one she has lived with for a long time: architecture. Wife to ABM Architects’ Alfaz Miller, and mother to two architects (Aahana and Aashti), Brinda’s landscapes take the shape of textured layers with lines and geometric forms that one often sees in architectural elements (she points to a pattern she observed on window jalis in Morocco, for instance, which has found a place in one of her works). “My husband does lend his opinion on my works. It’s a combination of the influences I have grown accustomed to at home, and my own sensibilities,” says Brinda, who counts abstractionists VS Gaitonde and Prabhakar Barwe among her inspirations. The exhibition will feature 18 of her big canvases and 50 small works, all of which are awash in vibrant colours—primarily red, orange and yellow. The artist, who organized the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival for close to 16 years until her resignation in early 2017 (“But I will stay on to guide the festival,” she clarifies), believes in art for the masses, and wants to see more of her works in public spaces. “That’s where all art must reside, ultimately,” she says, “with everybody. That’s how I ran the Kala Ghoda [festival], and I ascribe to that as an artist too.”
Brinda Miller in her Mumbai studio with her new collection—the artwork on the left is a 2017 mixed media on canvas titled Citadel. Below right: Tritium Light (2017), mixed media on canvas. Below left: Quanta (2017), mixed media on canvas. Above: Vanishing Point (2017), mixed media on canvas.
Design INDABA 21-23 February, Capetown designindaba.com 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Winter Antiques Show 19-28 January, New York City winterantiquesshow.com
Mumbai Gallery Weekend 21-23 January mumbaigalleryweekend.com
Paris Couture Week 21-25 January
Arctic Design Week 19-25 February, Rovaniemi, Finland arcticdesignweek.fi
21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally And Concours Show 17-18 February, New Delhi 21gunsaluterally.com
World Sacred Spirit Festival 16-17 February, Jodhpur Endorsed by Sting himself, this festival includes two mystical evenings of Sufi music performed in the royal forts of Jodhpur. worldsacredspiritfestival.org
India Art Fair 9-12 February, New Delhi indiaartfair.in
ARCO Madrid 20-25 February Spain’s leading contemporary art fair is the single most visited art fair in the world. ifema.es/arcomadrid_06
Maison & Objet 19-23 January, Paris maison-objet.com
IMM Cologne 15-21 January The year’s inaugural interiors and furnishing fair. imm-cologne.com
Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie 15-19 January, Geneva This year, the Richemont-centric watch fair will invite a number of independent watchmakers to exhibit. sihh.org
Art Antiques & Interiors Fair 12-14 January, London artantiquesinteriorsfair.com
JANUARY
Amazon India Fashion Week (Fall/Winter) Dates TBC, New Delhi amazonindiafashionweek.com
AD100 Dates TBC, Mumbai architecturaldigest.in
Art Basel 29-31 March, Hong Kong artbasel.com/hong-kong
BASELWORLD 22-27 March baselworld.com
Architectural Digest Design Show 22-25 March, New York City addesignshow.com
PAD PARIS 21-25 March pad-fairs.com
Art Dubai 21-24 March artdubai.ae
Design Shanghai 14-17 March designshanghai.com
10-18 March, Maastricht tefaf.com
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ART & DESIGN PLANNER AR ND LE A LC 2018 RA TU
NYCxDesign 11-23 May nycxdesign.com
1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair 4-6 May, New York City The New York edition of the contemporary African art fair. 1-54.com
Dak’Art-2018—The Dakar Biennale 3 May-2 June, Senegal biennaledakar.org
Frieze New York 3-5 May frieze.com
MAY
Graduate art show, College of Art Dates TBC, New Delhi delhi.gov.in
The Met Gala 30 April, New York City metmuseum.org
Gallery Weekend Berlin 27-29 April gallery-weekend-berlin.de
Udaipur World Music Festival 9-11 February udaipurworldmusicfestival.com
Zona Maco 7-11 February, Mexico City Latin America’s most important contemporary art fair. zsonamaco.com
Dhaka Art Summit 2-10 February dhakaartsummit.org
FEBRUARY
Nariyal Paani 26-28 January, Alibag The third edition of the bohemian indie-music festival on the palmfilled beaches of Alibag. nariyal-paani.com
Art Stage Singapore 26-28 January The leading art fair of South East Asia. artstage.com/singapore
Jaipur Literature Festival 24-29 January jaipurliteraturefestival.org
fhcm.paris
TEFAF: The European Fine Art Fair
Geneva International Motor Show 8-18 March gims.swiss
The Armory Show 8-11 March, New York City thearmoryshow.com
MARCH
Lakme Fashion Week (Summer/Resort) Dates TBC, Mumbai lakmefashionweek.co.in
Jaipur Photo Dates TBC jaipurphoto.in
Graduate art show, Sir JJ School of Art Dates TBC, Mumbai sirjjschoolofart.in
24-25 February, Marrakech The fair dedicated to contemporary African art will launch its first edition in the African continent. 1-54.com
Art Cologne 19-22 April artcologne.com
Art Brussels 19-22 April artbrussels.com
Condé Nast International Luxury Conference 18-19 April, Lisbon cniluxury.com
Salone del Mobile 17-22 April, Milan salonemilano.it
Kyotographie Tokyo 14 April-13 May Historic temples, shrines, teahouses and gardens are transformed to host an international photography festival. kyotographie.jp
SP-Arte 12-15 April, São Paulo Brazil’s leading contemporary art fair. sp-arte.com
APRIL
Art Basel 14-17 June artbasel.com
JUNE
Beirut Design Week Dates TBC beirutdesignweek.org
Graduate art show, The Maharaja Sayajirao University Dates TBC, Vadodara msubaroda.ac.in
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa D’este 25-27 May, Lake Como First launched in 1929, this vintage car fair is set on the picturesque shores of Lake Como. concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com
ICFF: The International Contemporary Furniture Fair 20-23 May, New York City The fair is popularly dubbed as “The Salone of America”. icff.com
Photo London 17-20 May photolondon.org
Latitude 12-15 July, Suffolk Henham Park becomes a venue for a four-day festival of music,
Les Rencontres D’Arles 2 July-23 September, Arles The French summer photography festival. rencontres-arles.com
Paris Couture Week 1-5 July fhcm.paris
JULY
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Dates TBC, San Francisco developer.apple.com/wwdc
Vogue Wedding Show Dates TBC, Mumbai vogue.in/vogue-wedding-show
Google Zeitgeist Conference Dates and Location TBC Google’s Zeitgeist conference brings together the world’s top global thinkers and leaders (think Bill Clinton, Sundar Pichai, Rem Koolhaas) for a series of enlightening talks. zeitgeistminds.com
Contemporary Istanbul 13-16 September
La Biennale Paris 10-16 September Formerly the La Biennale des Antiquaires, the art- and antiquefilled La Biennale Paris is a true representation of the French art de vivre. biennale-paris.com
Maison & Objet 7-11 September, Paris maison-objet.com
London Design Biennale 4-23 September londondesignbiennale.com
SEPTEMBER
Lakme Fashion Week (Winter/Festive) Dates TBC, Mumbai lakmefashionweek.co.in
kingdom’s art, literature and cultural traditions. mountainechoes.org
Masterpiece London 28 June-4 July masterpiecefair.com
Jodhpur RIFF: Rajasthan International Folk Festival 24-28 October jodhpurriff.org
MAMI: Mumbai Film Festival 25 October-1 November mumbaifilmfestival.com
FIAC 18-24 October, Paris The leading contemporary art fair in France. fiac.com
Gastronomika 7-10 October, San Sebastian A premier international gathering of chefs and food connoisseurs from around the world, which had India as its theme country in its previous edition. sansebastiangastronomika.com
PAD London 1-7 October pad-fairs.com
OCTOBER
GQ Men of the Year Awards Dates TBC, Mumbai gqindia.com
DECEMBER
GQ Fashion Nights Dates TBC gqindia.com
Dubai Design Week Dates TBC dubaidesignweek.ae
Salone del Mobile Shanghai Dates TBC salonemilano.it
Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Lit Fest Dates TBC, Mumbai tatalitlive.in
Artissima Turin Dates TBC artissima.it
Abu Dhabi Art Dates TBC abudhabiart.ae
ART021 Shanghai Dates TBC China’s premier art fair, which introduces home-grown talent to the world. art021.org
London Design Festival 15-23 September londondesignfestival.com
India Couture Week Dates TBC, New Delhi fdci.org
Mountain Echoes Literary Festival Dates TBC, Bhutan The only event of its kind in Bhutan, Mountain Echoes is the silent champion of the Himalayan
Art Stage Jakarta 2018 Dates TBC artstage.com/jakarta
St Moritz Art Masters 24 August-2 September stmoritzartmasters.org
AUGUST
Delhi Jazz Fest Dates TBC iccr.gov.in
Monaco Yacht Show 26-29 September monacoyachtshow.com
Open House London 22-23 September An all-access pass to hundreds of London buildings that are usually closed to the public. openhouselondon.org.uk
Beirut Art Fair 20-23 September beirut-art-fair.com
Journees Europeennes Du Patrimoine/European Heritage Days 15-16 September Monuments across France— otherwise inaccessible to the public—open their doors for two days. journeesdupatrimoine.cultu recommunication.gouv.fr
Bregenz Festival 18 July-19 August, Lake Constance The world’s most extravagant opera festival set in an open-air lakeside stage. bregenzerfestspiele.com
Experimenter Curators’ Hub 26-28 July, Kolkata experimenter.in
Turkey’s leading contemporary art fair. contemporaryistanbul.com
theatre, dance, film, cabaret and literature. latitudefestival.com
Kochi-Muziris Biennale Dates TBC kochimuzirisbiennale.org Magnetic Fields Festival Dates TBC, Alsisar magneticfields.in
Paris Photo 8-11 November parisphoto.com
Serendipity Arts Festival Dates TBC, Goa serendipityartsfestival.com
Fête des Lumières Dates TBC, Lyon Lighting installations dot the parks, squares and public buildings of Lyon during this lighting festival. fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr
Angkor Photo Dates TBC, Siem Reap angkor-photo.com
Art Basel Miami 6-9 December artbasel.com/miami-beach
Hornbill Festival of Nagaland 1-10 December The award-winning 10-day festival showcases the little-known indigenous culture of the conflictridden border state of India through music, song and dance. hornbillfestival.com
NOVEMBER
Amazon India Fashion Week (Spring/Summer) Dates TBC, New Delhi amazonindiafashionweek.com
Ziro Festival of Music Dates TBC, Arunachal Pradesh The music festival in the middle of nowhere! zirofestival.com
Grand Prix D’Horlogerie Dates TBC, Geneva The red carpet awards show for the latest and the most coveted watches of the world. gphg.org
Moscow Design Week Dates TBC moscowdesignweek.ru
Frieze Masters Dates TBC, London frieze.com
Frieze London Dates TBC frieze.com
Because we couldn’t choose just 50 Introducing the 100 most influential architects and interior designers in the Indian subcontinent Launching in Architectural Digest India’s March-April 2018 issue
NEWSMAKERS, OPINIONS THAT MATTER, PLUS THE LATEST IN ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
U N O RT H O D OX B OX
A simple cabana by the shore of a reservoir has an unusual connection with the Sri Lankan Civil Warâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is a creative response to the destruction that preceded it WRITER TYREL RODRICKS . PHOTOGRAPHER LOGAN MACDOUGALL POPE
Sri Lankan architect Damith Premathilake constructed this cabin near a Special Forces training camp, by the Maduru Oya Reservoir.
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The photographs show construction details of the cabin, which was built from discarded materials and shipping containers. Premathilake sketched the cabin keeping in mind the budgetary restrictions before him.
n the banks of the Maduru Oya Reservoir in eastern Sri Lanka sits a small cabin. Its yellow exterior and shaded upper floor indicate a simple layout. But its facade belies the context and complexity of its many layers—the site, the materials used and the hands that built it. Sri Lankan architect Damith Premathilake—who founded his eponymous firm in 2008—was tasked with renovating the Special Forces training camp at the reservoir. “I was commissioned to renovate the buildings, which were once part of the Mahaveli irrigation project and are now part of the army camp,” says Premathilake; this was among the architect’s earliest projects. During the course of this renovation, a casual conversation with a lieutenant colonel revealed the common observation the two men had: a cabin by the lake would fit right into the picturesque location. Though excited by the prospect of building the contextual cabin, Premathilake was introduced to the army’s idea of a budget for a holiday home—in simple terms, that there was none. “The problem was that they didn’t have any funds, because the army doesn’t fund the building of structures like these.” This didn’t dampen the architect’s spirit, and a chance spotting of a couple of empty shipping containers gave him the idea of using discarded materials to build this cabana by the lake. He sketched his idea, based on the two shipping containers, accounting for timber from a few railway sleepers, dismantled bunkers and weapon crates. Using the remains of wartime storage to build the cabin seemed fitting—a symbol of the country’s newfound peace, in the wake of the Sri Lankan Civil War. “The biggest challenge,” Premathilake states, “was they had no skilled labour.” Again, the limited funds called for a clever workaround; and he found one in the soldiers who’d accumulated experience building huts, furniture and the like for the camp. This team was sent to Colombo for further training before they began adding dimension and size to the architect’s sketches. For Premathilake, the entire exercise was exciting precisely because of the workarounds. It took just four months for the soldiers-turned-workmen to transform the discarded materials into a cosy holiday cabana. On the ground floor is a bedroom with an en suite, and a pantry. The deck out back and the shaded area above offer views of the reservoir; a pier juts out towards the water, and meets it during the monsoon, when the level rises. Inside, the cabin is sparsely appointed, with only the basic amenities. The double bed, cabinets and other simple furniture were also constructed like the cabana: “I created some sketches, and the soldiers built the furniture using some wood from the bunkers; for most of the columns, we used railway sleepers.” When completed, Premathilake’s holiday cabin struck a chord, and he was in talks to create a chalet on an islet in the middle of the reservoir. “We wanted to build it, but we didn’t because of plans to raise the dam. Once they increase the water level, we will decide whether to build more or not.” As it stands, the cabana is the sole recreational structure in its vicinity—making it all the more unique than it already is. Given time, and stable water levels, other cabanas and chalets will be built—more luxurious, and far more spacious. But for Premathilake and one lieutenant colonel, the original will always be unchallenged, for its concept, construction and, most of all, context.
SKETCHES: DAMITH PREMATHILAKE & DAMINDA PRASAD
PHOTO: DAMITH PREMATHILAKE
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Are tiny homes the future of urban living? In an experimental—and admittedly utopian—feature, invites three design studios to conceptualize micro-dwellings that teach you how to live large in small spaces
“THIS SPACE IS FOR A YOUNG, SINGLE WORKING PERSON. THE IDEA WAS TO DESIGN BASED ON THEIR PERSONALITY. THEY COULD BE A DJ, A VORACIOUS READER, OR EVEN A KITCHEN GARDEN ENTHUSIAST!”
WRITER TORA AGARWALA THE BUSRIDE
PRINCIPALS: AYAZ & ZAMEER BASRAI NAME: THE CAROUSEL CONCEPT: A customizable space based on the concept of a carousel of functions, where the resident can select modules that best define their personality. AREA: 148 square feet
AN OVERVIEW OF THE APARTMENT— THE CAROUSEL OCCUPIES ONE SIDE OF THE APARTMENT, LEAVING THE OTHER COMPLETELY FREE. “A JUKEBOX IS THE PERFECT METAPHOR—IT STANDS FOR A LOT OF FUNCTIONALITY PACKED INTO A TINY PLACE. YOU CAN [CHANGE] THE FUNCTIONALITY RESULTING IN DIFFERENT ‘MODES’.” “THE DJ CONSOLE CAN BE USED WHEN ENTERTAINING. THE IDEA IS THAT YOUR APARTMENT IS SMALL YET COOL ENOUGH FOR A PARTY.”
THE BED CAN BE PULLED OUT WHEN REQUIRED. THE TV IS PLACED ON THE FLIP SIDE OF ONE OF THE MODULES, SO YOU CAN LIE DOWN ON THE BED AND WATCH TV.
“WE ARE IMAGINING A VERY COOL COMPANY (LIKE APPLE!) DESIGNING THESE MODULES. YOU CAN UPGRADE, DOWNGRADE OR EXCHANGE MODULES. YOU CAN REPLACE YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN WITH TWO LIBRARY MODULES.”
A RATCHET PINION ARRANGEMENT WHERE EACH COMPONENT LOCKS AT VARIOUS LEVELS AND CAN SWIVEL DEPENDING ON THE FUNCTIONALITY REQUIRED.
THE LIBRARY COULD BE POPULATED BY BOOKS, OBJECTS AND ARTEFACTS. “THE IDEA IS THAT INSPIRATION LIES WITHIN THE HOME.”
ILLUSTRATIONS: THE BUSRIDE
IN THE ‘BATH MODE’, THE BATH TUB IS PULLED DOWN. THE BASIC TOILET AND SHOWER STALL ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CAROUSEL.
“HOME FOR ME IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. I DESIGNED AND LIVED IN A 160-SQUARE-FOOT APARTMENT IN BANDRA FOR TWO YEARS; THAT MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT SMALL SPACES ARE COMPLETELY LIVEABLE.” — AYAZ BASRAI
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perspective IN ITS MOST COLLAPSED FORM, THE SPACE GETS DIVIDED INTO A LIVING ROOM, PASSAGEWAY AND BEDROOM.
STUDIO NISHITA K AMDAR
PRINCIPAL: NISHITA KAMDAR NAME: THE KLOTSKI HOUSE CONCEPT: A childhood memory. A sliding block puzzle. A moving wall. These elements come together to create a compact yet flexible space based on the concept of klotski puzzles. AREA: 200 square feet THE APARTMENT CONSISTS OF A FIXED SERVICES BLOCK AND A GROUP OF MOVING “WALLS”. THESE “WALLS” ARE FURNITURE PIECES THAT ALSO STORE USER ESSENTIALS TO SAVE SPACE.
THE BEDROOM BLOCK HAS A PULL-DOWN BED THAT IS SMARTLY TUCKED INSIDE THE “KLOTSKI WALL”, HENCE MAKING THE “BEDROOM” SPACE USABLE FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES WHEN ONE DOES NOT WANT TO USE THE BED.
IN A TYPICAL KLOTSKI PUZZLE— WHICH HAS INSPIRED THE DESIGN OF THIS SPACE—ONE HAS TO SLIDE BLOCKS IN AN EMPTY SPACE. “THIS ALLOWS THE REARRANGEMENT OF PIECES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC CONFIGURATION.”
“THE WALLS CAN BE CONFIGURED IN A WAY THAT DELIVERS A WALK-IN WARDROBE AS SOON AS ONE GETS OUT OF THE BATHROOM.”
ONE CAN MOVE OR SLIDE THE WALLS ALONG TRACKS TO DIVIDE THIS SPACE INTO A DINING AREA, KITCHEN AND BEDROOM.
“ONE CAN USE WHITE FLOORING, WALLS AND CEILING TO ENSURE THE SPACE LOOKS LARGER THAN IT IS.”
“SPACES ARE GETTING SMALLER, BUT EXPECTATIONS, LARGER. THAT’S WHY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO COME UP WITH SUCH DESIGNS.”
STUDIO ORGANON
“A ROOF GARDEN PERMITS FOR PASSIVE COOLING AND ACTS AS A BREATHING SPACE IN THE URBAN FABRIC.”
PHOTO: DINODIA PHOTOS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
PRINCIPAL: SAURABH DAKSHINI NAME: THE URBAN POD CONCEPT: An environmentally conscious standalone dwelling adaptable to any context in the city—whether on land or water. AREA: 350 square feet
"MUMBAI IS A FAST MOVING CITY THAT’S ALWAYS EXPERIENCING AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE.” THESE URBAN PODS, WHICH CAN BE SITUATED ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, ARE MEANT FOR THEM. THE ICONIC MARINE DRIVE COULD SERVE AS ONE OF THE MANY INFILLS TO THIS INTERVENTION.
ILLUSTRATIONS: PRANALI PATEL
THE CORE OF THE STRUCTURE IS A SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT CONNECTS THE TWO LEVELS.
“THE MAIN IDEA BEHIND THE FORM OF THE STRUCTURE IS TO MINIMIZE ITS FOOTPRINT, ENVIRONMENTALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY.”
THE EXTERNAL SKIN IS A THREE-LAYERED INFLATED ETFE CUSHION (INSPIRED BY THE EDEN PROJECT IN CORNWALL, UK), WHICH CREATES A TRANSLUCENT LAYER BETWEEN THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE.
THE CIRCULAR PLAN, APART FROM SAVING SPACE, ALLOWS FOR FLUIDITY IN MOVEMENT YET MAINTAINS A SENSE OF PRIVACY.
THE LIVING FLOOR CONSISTS OF A SITTING SPACE, DINING AREA, KITCHENETTE, SLEEPING SPACE AND BATH.
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perspective PART I
A media executive’s personal cabin is given a gallery-like quality by young Mumbai architecture firm, MuseLab WRITER RAHUL SHARMA PHOTOGRAPHER ASHISH SAHI STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR hen you’re the managing director of a publishing company that boasts the country’s leading interior design magazine in your portfolio, the world’s greatest architects are just a phone call away. But when the head of this media company embarked on the refurbishment of his 170-square-foot cabin—as part of the 10th anniversary renovation of the company’s office spaces—he wanted to experiment with a The ‘Aeron’ chair behind the desk is by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick for Herman Miller. The Aishwarya Rai Bachchan portrait by Marcin Tyszka hangs on the wall behind. ‘Trestle Table’ is by Casegoods. The ‘Chandigarh’ chair by Pierre Jeanneret is from Mahendra Doshi. Left: The ‘Flash’ conference table is by Rubberband. The Theyyam head and Burmese lacquer boxes are from Phillips Antiques.
younger architecture practice that could translate his ideas on a shoestring budget. Step forward Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani of MuseLab, who, over three months, transformed the once corporate-looking corner office into a glossy sanctuary. “The brief was simple,” says Rangwala. “We were to stay minimalist and keep it white. There are so many colourful people in that office that it needed to reflect the opposite.” Where MuseLab was able to be radical was in the floor plan, which they nearly doubled in footprint to 300 square feet by amalgamating an assistant’s cabin plus a cupboard. Most of the furniture was custom-made, including the bookcase across one wall that references Charlotte Perriand, and a Florence Knoll-like sofa, which is a nod to the publisher’s London HQ. But this is a showcase for contemporary Indian design, not a museum of modernist classics, and among the first pieces purchased were the ‘Flash’ table by Ajay Shah of Rubberband, and a Casegoods ‘Trestle’ table, which is used as a desk. Reflecting the executive’s interest in art, the architects sought to create a white cube atmosphere. “We borrowed a few ideas from galleries,” notes Rangwala, “including the concrete floors and large windows.” Now, more than just a room with a view, it’s a room with a point of view. 134|
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PART II
A clubby den fashioned out of a forgotten corner of a south Mumbai apartment was designed as a space to appreciate jazz. Just don’t call it a bar The vintage chandelier is from Taherally’s. The Bourgie lamp by Ferruccio Laviani is for Kartell. The media executive’s pet—a boxer named Luna—sits on the Abaca leather sofa. Left: The wine chiller inside the concealed bar, a design by the homeowner himself, is by Lieberherr.
he home of the media executive whose office is featured on the facing page is as sophisticated as you might expect—large and dotted with contemporary art, which ranges from Anita Dube photographs to an emblematic Souza head. It seems typical of the living space of a man at the intersection of fashion, art and film. What is atypical is the tiny space at the heart of the apartment—a “den” that, in contrast to the owner’s all-white office, is done up entirely in black. Designed by the media executive himself, it was a space conceived as somewhere to relax with a glass of Barolo while listening to Coltrane. Not quite a music room, it is nevertheless equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system, the acoustics of which are attuned to the room’s minuscule proportions. On the walls, there are rare editions of black-and-white photographs of jazz and blues giants—from Miles Davis to Wynton Marsalis—taken by ace photographer Farrokh Chothia. Part Batcave, part The Thomas Crown Affair study, there’s the distinct feeling that a secret button might, at any moment, reveal the den’s true contents. And that’s on top of the temperature-controlled bar and humidor that completes the set-up. It makes south Mumbai’s most difficult to access VIP room mighty inviting—but be warned, entry is by invitation only.
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The Bakery is one of the ďŹ ve houses open to visitors at Elsewhere, a resort in north Goa. It was built by Luis Gonzaga de Santana Sequeira, a priest who lived in another house on the property, and the grand-uncle of founder Denzil Sequeira.
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Five tiny houses on a massive, sandy estate make up the cult-status Goa hotel, Elsewhere WRITER TYREL RODRICKS PHOTOGRAPHER DENZIL SEQUEIRA he draw of Goa’s tide extends far beyond its shoreline. For decades, it has attracted visitors to its dichotomous coast, where hedonism and serenity coexist peacefully—thanks to the different hours they keep. While those looking to party just follow the beat (or the traffic!), it’s a tougher search for those seeking calmer corners. Elsewhere, a resort comprising heritage houses and tents, is one such corner in north Goa. The five houses are scattered across a swathe of beachfront property that’s been in founder Denzil Sequeira’s family since 1886. A fashion photographer by profession, Denzil’s first visits to the property were as a child. And it was when he returned in the mid-1980s that he decided to start restoring them. “I wanted to restore the houses to recreate childhood memories.” The restoration took place over two phases. “[The houses] were structurally restored in the 1980s, and cosmetically in the 1990s.” With the help of a structural engineer for three houses, and Goa-based Swiss architects Sonja Weder and Thomas Schneider for the other two, he “broke down some walls”, “combined one dining area with a bedroom”, and “turned the kitchen in the Captain’s House into a big bathroom”. The attempt was, in fact, to retain as much of the houses’ original decor as possible. Each still has its gabled terracotta roof and wide balcão, and they’re also named for their earliest functions. The Bakery was the bakery, and the Piggery used to house the livestock. The Captain’s House was the residence of Cyril William Sequeira—Denzil’s uncle—who used to regale villagers when flying his Tiger Moth airplane in the 1950s from Mumbai to Goa, soaring over the property and waving to the people below. “My favourite are the Captain’s House and the Priest’s House—because these are closest to their original forms,” says Denzil. The latter even has its original tiles, which his grand-uncle Luis Gonzaga de Santana Sequeira—the eponymous priest—had brought over in the 1920s by boat from Gujarat. “The interiors of all the houses were done by me,” says Denzil—though he seems reluctant to say he decorated them. “They’re completely traditional. They contain just the basic necessities of a traditional house, but also have all the modern comforts without detracting from the original character. The furniture today might be called a collection of antiques, but in reality, it is what it was.” And that’s what Elsewhere is: a temporary trip back to simpler times—albeit with Wi-Fi and a spot to charge your phone.
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It’s a dog’s life. And in the hands of the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, Kenya Hara and Zaha Hadid Architects, it’s a beautiful one
rank Lloyd Wright’s youngest client was perhaps his most unusual one. He was four years old, had four legs, and was roughly two-and-a-half feet tall and three feet long. Eddie was a labrador retriever who needed a home; and Wright, dubbed “the greatest American architect of all time” by the American Institute of Architects, made him one. All at the behest of a letter he received from Eddie’s master, a 12-year-old California boy named Jim Berger. What Wright did—with his set of drawings for Eddie’s triangular kennel—way back in 1957, was only the first recorded example of an architect-designed kennel. Cut to 2018, UK-based animal welfare organization Blue Cross will have a team of artists, designers and architects from different parts of the world participating in Bow Wow Haus London, “the first-ever public exhibit and auction of artistic dog kennels in Britain”. The exhibition, which launches this month, already has its pièce de résistance: ‘Cloud’, the cocoon-like spherical dog kennel designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. A few years ago, Japanese architect Kenya Hara launched his Architecture for Dogs project, where he got a group of world-class designers—including Kengo Kuma and Shigeru Ban—to make designer digs for dogs, blueprints of which were free to download and adapt. And in 2016, Melbourne-based Michael Ong and design studio Pen created the ‘Dog Room’—a gable-roofed waterproof miniature wooden house, complete with a fluorescent green bed. Clearly, every dog has his day. And really special ones have designer kennels too. 138|
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Michael Ong and Pen’s ‘Dog Room’. Above right: The ‘Cloud’ kennel by Zaha Hadid Architects. Above left: Shigeru Ban’s design for the Architecture for Dogs project. Below: Kengo Kuma’s design for the project.
ARCHITECTURE FOR DOGS PHOTOS: HIROSHI YODA. ‘CLOUD’ IMAGE COURTESY ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS. ‘DOG ROOM’ PHOTO COURTESY ITSUKA STUDIO.
WRITER TORA AGARWALA
DELHI’S HONG KONG NIGHTS Emulating the essence of Hong Kong, Andaz Delhi beckons you to the Hong Kong Club, a one-of-a-kind contemporary bar and Cantonese dining destination that transforms into a club lounge ndaz Delhi’s Hong Kong Club—a swanky, new dining and entertainment destination that channels the energy of Hong Kong—is now open with modern Cantonese food and intriguing cocktails, amidst a chic ambience. Inside an imposing glass-clad structure right in the middle of the hotel, it surprises you with its scale, featuring two floors with 292 covers and double height spaces, an island bar, hidden private dining rooms with their own bars, open kitchens, and towering wine racks. With Chinoiseriestyle interiors, the art installations here tell an intriguing love story of a young Indian sailor and the mysterious oriental Beauty-Li Na. Whether its pork belly served with Kasundi mustard and traditional Cantonese chicken fermented in peach wine or silky dim sums and sago pudding—each dish on the menu is crafted by Executive Chef Alex Moser and his team of Chinese chefs. And it’s not just about serving the region on a plate. The food at Hong Kong Club is a unique integration of local ingredients and modern
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Cantonese cooking techniques. While the open kitchen celebrates the theatre and drama of the chefs going about their work, the bar menu not only boasts the finest spirits from around the world, but the mixologists here also whip up exotic cocktails inspired by your Chinese Zodiac sign. The finest entertainment
destination in Delhi, Hong Kong Club will entertain you with live performances, while an international DJ will have you grooving all night long. ADDRESS: The Hong Kong Club, Andaz Delhi (A Concept by Hyatt), Aerocity, New Delhi. For more information, call +91-85888-42919
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CABIN FEVER
You could hardly hang a wooden cabin on the wall—or put it on a pedestal—but savvy collectors are adding rustic shelters by celebrity architects to their art collection WRITER NONIE NIESEWAND independent and mobile. And let’s face it, more luxurious. A video playing on loop shows the architects assembling the cabin in a meadow, in four hours flat. The trend of collecting and marketing designer prefabs at auctions and art fairs began when hotelier André Balazs—of the Mercer in New York and the Chiltern Firehouse in London, among others—bought a Jean Prouvé ‘La Maison Tropicale’, for $4.97 million at Christie’s in New York in 2007. Early collector Brad Pitt bought the prefab modular ‘Mini Capsule Hotel’ designed by Atelier van Lieshout from Carpenters Workshop in 2009, for his Santa Monica beachfront pad. At the Raleigh Hotel on Miami’s South Beach, Charlotte Perriand’s wooden cabin, designed in 1934 as cheap holiday lodging, is now a luxurious beach hut set on wooden blocks above the sand in the hotel’s seaside garden. Her design won second prize in a
Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed the ‘Futuro House’ in 1968, as a portable ski chalet.
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PHOTO: BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES
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wooden bungalow built like an Alpine chalet with shuttered windows in modular panels sits uncomfortably inside the gigantic hall at Design Miami 2015. Jean Prouvé’s ‘6x6 Demountable House’ was designed in 1944, as an innovative way to mass produce prefabricated houses for war victims in eastern France. Today, it is a holiday home for Parisian gallerist Patrick Seguin and his wife, Laurence. Seguin has amassed the world’s most important collection of Prouvé’s demountable architecture—20 pieces in total, selling between €1.25 million and €8 million. The one he exhibits at the collectors’ fair, Design Miami, is a hybrid of Prouvé’s original design with two pod-like spaceship cylinders on either side, for bathing and cooking. These replace the simple rainwater butt and gas stove of the original. Richard Rogers of Rogers Stirk Harbour+Partners architects was commissioned by Seguin to add these solar-powered pods to make the cabin more
PHOTOS COURTESY GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN PHOTO: DON EMMERT/GETTY IMAGES
PHOTO: PHILLIPS DE PURY AND COMPANY
A video playing on loop shows architects assembling the Jean Prouvé cabin in a meadow, in four hours flat.
This picture and left: Designed as a flatpack home—created for mass production—the ‘6x6 Demountable House’ was among the 20 Jean Prouvé houses Galerie Patrick Seguin sold in 2007 for €1.25 million to €8 million each. Below: Shigeru Ban’s ‘Paper Tea House’—which first appeared at Design Miami 2015—is currently sold by Nina Yashar’s Nilufar Gallery. Bottom: Hotelier André Balazs bought Prouvé’s ‘La Maison Tropicale’ in 2007 for $4.97 million.
competition run by a French architectural magazine but was never built, even after she reworked the plan for a wealthy second home owner. Eighty years later, Louis Vuitton launched Perriand’s ‘La Maison au Bord de l’eau’ at Design Miami 2013. Her design, on a U-shaped plan, cocoons small rooms in two wings fronted by sliding glass doors, connected by a semi-enclosed corridor at the back. The central deck open to Miami beach is covered with an awning. Even beautifully crafted traditional Japanese teahouses are on the move. At Design Miami 2015, in an exhibition of prefabs curated by Balazs, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban’s ‘Paper Tea House’ made an appearance, exquisitely crafted from cardboard tubes. This design collectible is on sale at Nina Yashar’s Nilufar Gallery in Milan. At Salone 2017, the centrepiece of the ‘Khora’ furniture collection by the late Shigeru Uchida was his wooden tea house (1993) rebuilt by Hong Kong-based art collector and cultural entrepreneur, Adrian Cheng. The teahouse was Cheng’s last meeting place with Uchida, and towards the end of the year, it landed in Seoul’s Gana Art gallery in South Korea as part of a travelling exhibition of Uchida’s work. The weirdly saucer-shaped ‘Futuro House’, designed in 1968 as a portable ski chalet by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, has rarity value. The first Futuro—26 feet in diameter, with an airplane hatch entrance 13 feet high—landed like an alien spaceship beside a lake in Finland. Subsequent models proved unpopular and were vandalised. The banks stopped financing them. Built in fibreglass-reinforced polyester plastic, fewer than 100 of these houses were built. They were assembled in sections in two days, and could be placed in any terrain, anchored by their four concrete piers—which is why surviving Futuros are still found in the wilderness areas in Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, Scandinavia, and Russia. Quick and easy to heat from -28 to 15 degrees Celsius in half an hour, one still stands on Hop Island in Antarctica. Until recently, you could even buy one on eBay. Flatpack shelters by celebrated designers highlighting the trend to collect them as art objects, are landing far from their original destinations. It is hard to believe that today’s worthy companions for mobile homes—the UN Better Shelter houses sponsored by IKEA for refugees, the Ukrainian shelter made of police riot shields, Shigeru Ban’s houses built from the rubble after the Nepal earthquake—will end up in art galleries in the future.
perspective Ahead of its arrival in India later this year, IKEA has unveiled Hej Home, a small concept apartment that showcases how the Swedish design giant thinks India should live. Mia Lundström, creative director IKEA India, tells of the brand’s Scandinavian approach to modern Indian homes
A kitchen generally occupies a cramped, capsule-sized space in the average singlebedroom-hall-kitchen apartment. “Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, where so much time is spent on cooking, great functionality and storage spaces are key”, says Mia Lundström. In the Hej Home module, subtraction was key. A facing wall was avoided to create an open-plan kitchen and dining area. Lundström preferred easy yet affordable additions, and equipped the kitchen with pre-planned storage units and designated drawers. While the high-gloss kitchen cabinets provided the Swedish aesthetic, a wastesorting drawer under the sink, a separate cabinet for tableware, and an extendable dining table helped to optimize the freed-up space.
Location: Hyderabad Format: 1 BedroomHall-Kitchen Area: 775 square feet
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
ENTRANCE
KITCHEN & DINING
CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA
When faced with the question of how to teach young children to put back their playthings—especially when living in a limited space—Lundström said, “The decisive factor is functionality.” The Hej Home module has a demarcated section in the living room for children. The section has a multifunctional and ergonomic storage unit that simultaneously serves as a play area. Simple-to-use storage solutions and drawer units that are easily accessible, at a child’s height, are the key features here. The low units store all the toys and drawing supplies, while creating a space for children that blends with the rest of the room. The separation and utility, in turn, ensure that the children feel responsible for their own space.
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market research study into how Indian families lived. The IKEA Hej Home space now showcases the results of their years-long study, rendered into reality with the five ideals that they hold paramount: functionality, affordability, sustainablity, form and quality. At Hej Home, the model set-up for a family of four revealed how they solved common problems faced by Indian homeowners—in a uniquely Scandinavian way.
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
The IKEA team discovered a distinctive trait with Indian homes, where, due to space constraints, parents often shared a bed with their children—affecting the personal space of every member of the family. In this module, separate sleeping zones for the parents and children were created. The bedroom featured a single bed with storage underneath for the older child, and an extendable bed—for the toddler to grow with—at the opposite end of the room. The queen-sized bed for the parents in the centre gave them personal space and storage options. The beds have storage units beneath, with curtains around them for privacy. Accessories in each sleeping area gives them the feeling of a small, but personal space.
After hundreds of home visits across the country and speaking to homeowners, Lundström concluded that a small living room needed to have multipurpose and stackable or foldable furniture that could be stored away when not needed. “A small space can indeed be beautiful. And it is a great feeling to be able to declutter your home by finding smart solutions—spaces where you can store your personal belongings, while also making room for your family and friends.”
TEXT: SAMIR WADEKAR
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KEA—the store and the brand on every homemaker, designer, and design student’s mind—finally made its long-awaited way to India with Hej Home, an experience centre in Hyderabad. Though the word ‘hej’ is Swedish for ‘hello’, the brand has had a nearly 30-year-old sourcing relationship with India, and was aware of the constraints faced by the average Indian family living in a small home. They preceded the launch with a detailed multi-city
perspective
Architect, urban planner and, more recently, a resident of Maximum City, KATSUSHI GOTO dives deep into the differences, similarities and overlaps between two of the world’s most populated cities
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first landed in Mumbai on a crisp February morning in 2002. I was a young student of architecture in Tokyo—22 at the time—and I had never been to India before. I was here for a workshop on urbanization, and after New Delhi, Shimla and Chandigarh, I finally landed in Mumbai. It wasn’t like anything I had seen before. It did remind me of Tokyo, but not quite. It wasn’t even like Delhi, where the roads seem endless and the trees formed sweeping canopies. Mumbai was different. Mumbai was overwhelming. Things happened in Mumbai. And things happened fast. People slept on roads; the gutters lay open. A businessman here, a street hawker there. And yet, 15 years later, I decided to move here. Mumbai and Tokyo are both as similar as they are different. For one, they are going to be two of the most populated urban agglomerations in the world by 2030. For another, both are large cities, growing exponentially; but, at the same time, as the cities grow, spaces shrink. And as spaces shrink, people adapt. Here are two cities whose inhabitants have learned to live most of their lives
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ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
in single rooms—eating, sleeping, entertaining and living, all in one space. Like I had when I was a student in Tokyo. I lived in a small apartment, about 225 square feet. Nothing says ‘individuality’ the way Japanese design does. And that is most evident in apartment quarters designed for single people living in Tokyo—much like the one I occupied. These flats—self-contained units—are small but never uncomfortable. The bathrooms, often prefabricated set-ups, usually have a small washbasin, toilet and a bathtub. The bathtubs are very different from the regular ones you might have come across. They are deep—less tub, more drum—and you just plonk yourself in, sit up and read a book. Atop the cisterns of most toilets, there will usually be a sink—a clever water-saving tactic. Ironically, the cupboards will be so big that you can even sleep inside them! Young Japanese, much like I was then, are always on the move. We live minimally; we own few objects; and we travel light. During my student years, I never owned a single utensil. Not a mug, not even a teacup. Years later, when I was living in Baroda
AS TOLD TO TORA AGARWALA
ILLUSTRATOR SHWETA MALHOTRA
“Not everyone in Tokyo is alienated and not everyone in Mumbai is friendly. It’s the way people deal with themselves and with their surroundings.”
[Vadodara], I noticed that regardless of your current habitat—be it your own apartment or a community hostel—utensils were something that every Indian owned, whether it was a small teaspoon or a steel tumbler! I found it amusing in the beginning, but I soon learned that design and the lifestyles we choose are complementary, co-dependent processes. Take, for example, a typical Japanese kitchen. While the basins are large, there is barely any—and sometimes no—preparation space to chop vegetables. It’s perhaps because many food items in Tokyo are available as pre-packed, ready-to-cook meals: pre-cut vegetables and chicken that’s already cubed. Cooking in a traditional Indian kitchen, on the other hand, tends to start right from scratch. In this fast-paced life, home, for many young working Japanese men and women, is but a temporary place of being. The building opposite my current house in Tokyo has been rented out by a company for its employees—meant to be occupied by them during the week. Come weekend, the residents head on to their family homes—their ‘real’ homes—possibly far away from the city. As a result, Tokyo, like Mumbai, is a city where homes change hands quickly. The fundamental difference, however, lies in culture. In India, there is a lot more emphasis on the concept of family. As a young, single working professional here, you might rent a slightly bigger space in anticipation of your family visiting; that’s not a consideration that exists in Tokyo at all. Privacy and
independence are central in Japanese culture. For example, in Mumbai you might have visitors staying over, and you might accommodate them by putting a mattress on the floor. But that sort of thing just does not work in Tokyo. Your space is your own. And respect for that is paramount. So paramount that even in popular ramen bars—a regular feature in train stations and such— long communal tables lined with benches have partitions segregating each diner from the other. And that’s not all, a shutter is pulled up when your order is placed before you, and pulled down when you start eating. But it’s always easier to generalize. Tokyo is this overly exoticized but fascinating, alien space; Mumbai is super dirty but super friendly. However, not everyone in Tokyo is alienated and not everyone in Mumbai is friendly. It’s the way people deal with themselves and with their surroundings. Some time ago, my wife and I were travelling around Japan when we came across an intriguing sight. In a youth hostel, we met a bartender who had fashioned a home out of his bunk. For two years, clothes hung over the foot of his bed; utensils occupied the space below; and his laptop was fixed on the ceiling above. The world was his eight-bythree-foot bed, and he seemed absolutely unperturbed by it. It just goes to show that, as people, we are more adaptable than we think we are. However big or small the space is, whether it’s in a Tokyo high-rise, a Mumbai chawl or a New York loft, you accept it and you make it your own.
HIGH ON THAI
Say hello to Izaya – Mumbai’s first-ever Robata Thai fine dine restaurant by culinary maven Farrokh Khambata fter giving Mumbai several stylish restaurants like Umame, Joss, Rampart Row, Amadeus and Café at the NCPA, Farrokh Khambata—under the aegis of his culinary label Catering & Allied—brings you another ‘It’ restaurant called Izaya. No stranger to the business of delicious, Khambata identified the need for a Thai fine-dine restaurant that goes beyond curries and
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papaya salads within the precincts of the Maximum City. So along with architect Zia Shroff, a longtime collaborator and friend, he transformed the space, previously known as Amadeus, for this allnew dining haven. Located at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), right by the Arabian Sea, the restaurant offers a beautiful ambience. While the tastefully appointed interiors welcome you
with soothing tones of blue, grey and white, it also has an expansive al fresco area that’s accented with gleaming chandeliers. Izaya is also the first Robata Thai dining experience in the megapolis. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is food that’s cooked on the three-tiered Japanese fisherman’s ‘Robatayaki’ grill. A flavourful fusion of Thai and Malay cuisine, each dish on the menu is handcrafted from fresh, succulent ingredients. Following the global trend for freshly cooked delicacies, Izaya offers a culinary theatre and an interactive dining experience where premium produce—be it meats, seafood or vegetables—sizzle on the robata grill stations, right before your eyes. The menu also includes authentic Thai dishes, curated on the basis of several tastings and master classes, which were conducted in
Thailand over the past few months. Khambata and his team have also collaborated with Thai master chef Piyarat Ruangsang to ensure that the flavour of each morsel is nothing short of being authentic. With Izaya, Farrokh returns to the kitchen, where he personally innovates the menu. A few must-try dishes include the Frilly Egg Salad (Khambata’s personal favourite, served with a palm sugar dressing and burnt garlic), an Assamese Style Curry served with river sole fillets, Chiang Mai Silken Tofu served with White Edamame and Sa Khoo (air light dumplings that originated in the royal kitchens of Thailand). Add to that the restaurant’s very special Yokka Kan (four days) menu, and you’ve got yourself an exquisite epicurean experience. This mini menu is only available to visitors between Thursdays and Saturdays.
The reason: most of the ingredients take the first four days of the week to be flown in. The Yokko Kan menu is currently served to anyone who chooses to sample it. But it will soon become a member’s exclusive offering. So whether it’s a birthday, a family get-together, a date or just one of those evenings where you’re looking for an out-of-the-box gastronomic indulgence, consider Izaya. You’ll thank us for recommending it. Address: Amadeus, NCPA, Gate No. 2, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021. For reservations, call 022-2282121 / 022-67230111. Follow /izayarestaurant
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TAKE A JOURNEY THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
Mansi Poddar on a swing that is a bespoke Ashiesh Shah design, wearing her favourite Balenciaga boots.
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The Mumbai studio apartment of media entrepreneur and girl about town, Mansi Poddar, might be minuscule but it packs a stylish punch, just like its owner. Her friend, MEHER VARMA, writes about her stay at the Marine Drive home PHOTOGRAPHER ASHISH SAHI
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In the living room, the 1940sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; armchair upholstered in Italian leather is from Chiki Doshi. The carpet is from Jaipur Rugs. The photograph on the wall is by Rishabh Badoni, the chaise longue is custom-made and the stool is from No-Mad. Facing page: In the dining room, the chairs and the table were custom-made.
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Left: In the bedroom, the antique bed is from the Raj Company; the picture of the swimming pool is by Porus Vimadalal; the photograph below it is by Chirodeep Choudhuri. Below: Poddar’s shoe closet. Bottom right: Below the Ashiesh Shah-designed swing is a rug from Contemporary Arts and Crafts. Bottom left: The tiles are from Bharat Flooring and Tiles. Facing page: In the bedroom, the bed linen is from Bandit Queen.
[Ashiesh] Shah and Mansi worked together to “gut everything” and re-conceptualize the space; it was, essentially, a battle between two stubborn people. 153
The bar trolley is an Ashiesh Shah design for Urban Ladder. Above: Poddar in her drawing room. Above right: In the kitchen, the light is from Paul Matter. Right: The antique letter box is from Mahendra Doshi and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kharifâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; candle is from Shift.
he first time I stayed at Mansi Poddar’s apartment she was away, travelling in Italy. While at first we lamented my bad timing, it ended up not mattering. As I made my way from the airport to her Marine Drive flat, she sent me a text message with the simple instructions: “There’s lemon ice cream in the fridge, and Hendricks in the kitchen cabinet.” Mansi, along with being the founder of ultra-cool lifestyle website Brown Paper Bag, and the new members-only shopping website oneamazingthing.in, is a generous host. While I thought it was the ice cream and gin that would get me quickly settled in, these were just a prelude. In this bright flat that invokes the feeling of a personal closet thrown open, there were other luxuries—some rudimentary, some aweinspiring—that made her cosy home seem like a deeply familiar space. Alongside a collection of well-thumbed books, I found Mansi’s sentimental collection of gorgeous shoes, arranged as beautifully as macarons in a Paris bakery. A Rick Owens-style daybed looked out upon a gallery of champa trees. As soon as I stepped in, and for many days after, I realized that it was this special marriage between luxuries—both lush and basic—that made this apartment so well-suited to its owner. This mix, which makes Mansi’s apartment “exactly the one that she wanted”, is something she credits entirely to her architect, and close friend, Ashiesh Shah. “I got terribly lucky, getting to work with him. He knew my life, and so really understood the kind of space I needed—much better than I understood it myself,” she says. SPACE STUDY Before Shah stepped in to make Mansi’s apartment so her, it was a two-bedroom space, of which one room, being windowless, remained largely closed. Within a short three months, Shah and Mansi worked together to “gut everything” and re-conceptualize the space; it was, essentially, a battle between two stubborn people. Though Mansi found herself hesitantly nixing many of her initial
ideas—like using many primary colours and bright wallpaper—and giving in to Shah’s vision, she retrospectively credits herself for trusting his expertise. “I’ve never met anyone with such a deep understanding of space,” she says, reflecting. Moreover, beyond her instinct to trust him, she also found herself learning. “Being with him is a lot like being in design school,” she explains, elaborating how her notions of “good aesthetics” were transformed by his ideas. Though the apartment is not sprawling, there are wonders everywhere that are immune to fatigue, largely because they are both deeply local and innovative. For instance, the jagged-line, nautical-themed floor tiles are simple and recognizable on their own, but Shah cleverly arranged them to form a tricky optical illusion that you can gaze at for hours. The sliding closet doors are all handmade, and use an old-school chatai weave, which, Mansi tells me, was “a pain to execute, but totally worth it”. The art collection is coming together, but is largely representative of Indian artists and photographers, many of whom she knows personally. I spent most of my time in her apartment over the next few days cancelling appointments and ordering in. I spent hours reading in the bedroom tub and took (too) many hours getting ready, thanks to the green-room style lighting in the dressing room. I also noticed how beautifully the apartment transformed through the day; in the mornings it was mild and sensitive, but by evening it would take on the feeling of a living room in New York on a cinematic snow day. I didn’t stay the whole weekend, but by Friday night, it was already my preferred location for pizza deliveries and homemade cucumber gin cocktails—preferably all consumed while sitting on the floor. When I left, I told Mansi I didn’t have a chance to miss her. She laughed when I told her that if she were a home, this would be it. “But it’s certainly brighter than I am, and not afraid of its defects,” she said. We agreed, and decided that it was her—just on her best days.
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SHIFTED
Fashion designer Nimish Shah inhabits the ultimate Bandra bachelor pad. MANSI PODDAR, his friend and co-conspirator, writes a personal account of life behind the revolving door PHOTOGRAPHER ASHISH SAHI . STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
The passage leading to designer Nimish Shahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedroom. Facing page: Shah in his bedroom, against a wall that he had covered with cement sheets.
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Shah in his living room next to Dayanita Singhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kochi Box. Facing page: The velvetupholstered couch was designed by Shah and custom-made in Mumbai; the tufted carpet is from Jaipur Rugs. The bar tray on the sideboard is from Nappa Dori, and the decanter and glasses in it are from Nicobar; the wooden bowl is from Puducherry. The photograph in the frame is a backstage shot of Chloeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spring-Summer 2017 show, where Shah worked for a while.
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In Shah’s bedroom, the quilt is from Shift Home—the designer’s furnishings brand; the bed sheet and the wire laundry basket are both from Muji. Above: Shah’s kitchen. Above right: In this window nook in the living room, the cushions are from Bandit Queen, the centre table is from Fabindia, and the tray on it is from Anantaya. Shah had bamboo rollup blinds installed instead of curtains because he didn’t want to block the light, or want anything too “flowy”; the Prussian blue carpet is from Merci, a fashion and decor store in Paris. Right: In a corner of the living room, the table and stool are Shah’s own designs; the planter is from Shift Home.
very time I’m at fashion designer (of Shift fame) Nimish Shah’s home, I secretly change the photo in his Dayanita Singh Kochi Box to match the one hanging in my apartment. He’ll be off fixing frosty gin-and-tonics or ironing an Acne Studios T-shirt, and I will shuffle hurriedly through the waxy, moody shots, looking for the one of empty fragrance bottles, or spindly chairs, or our favourite— the deliciously suggestive “librarian” photo. It makes me laugh that, despite being completely obsessed with order, he never notices.
carpet from Jaipur Rugs,” Nimish tells me. The rest he added slowly, selecting single pieces that fit together seamlessly to create a physical manifestation of the unique Gujarati-Scandinavian minimalism his fashion label is best known for. There are wrought iron dining chairs from Gulmohar Lane and a custom-made couch. There is a flash of ebullience from a huge backstage photograph of the Chloe Spring-Summer 2007 show in Paris, where Nimish apprenticed. And there are lots of textiles, understated and lovely, from the home line of Shift— curtains, and bed sheets, and a crocheted planter that give the home its handmade feel and make it a true extension of Nimish’s larger design narrative.
LIGHT-HEARTED The biggest personalities in Nimish’s one-bedroom apartment are the windows. They dominate two walls of his bedroom and a large swathe of the dining area, letting in what he calls “funny rays” in the day and a long, orange twilight. “I wake to find my whiteboard illuminated, and big streaks on the wardrobe,” he tells me while methodically working his way through a bowl of fries. “By the time I get home in the evenings, the grey wall is turning golden.” The grey wall is the one behind his bed, the only major renovation Nimish undertook when he moved in last year. The wall needed waterproofing and he planned to paper it after adding cement sheets, but eventually decided against the paper. The cement lends a raw, rakish edge to otherwise tightly controlled interiors, but without the forced cliche of “industrial chic”. I attempt to compare these to a seam on a pale green dress from his latest collection, deliberately left undone, and also an ongoing personal drama. Is this a theme we need to explore? “Let’s just get another drink,” he says. “The first thing I bought for this apartment is the living room
PARTY LINE This apartment is designed to house one and host many. Impromptu parties often swell from three people to 13, with long-legged girls sharing the hunter-green suede couch, and a pretty, pretty boy smoking moodily out the window. A pair of Bandit Queen floor cushions by the living room window is a coveted spot, currently occupied by a popular ingénue in a floral Shift dress. She has her knees up to her chest and a glass that, through some alchemy of hosting that Nimish has perfected, is never empty. There is St Vincent on the speakers, Camy wafers in ceramic bowls, the fragrance of a wintery candle. The old-school kitchen is a study in controlled chaos with dishes stacked neatly in the sink and empty champagne bottles lining the counter; even the pile of discarded bottle tops is arranged artfully in a corner. I grab a beer and rummage around the fridge for eclairs, plating them on a dish because I know that bringing a cardboard box into Nimish’s living room is a sin our friendship would not recover from. It is finally time for dessert.
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Two large windows in the living space of this New York apartment let light flood in. It is populated with objects and furniture sourced from around the world—a Berber rug from Morocco, a mud-cloth stool from a New York antiques market, and miniature tiger paintings from a friend who runs Kashmiri textile store Andraab in Jaipur. Facing page: Homeowners Abhishek Honawar and Naina Shah against their dining area; behind, the archway—a nod to pre-war apartment design—connects the living space to the kitchen. The kitchen was previously shut off from this room by a wall of deep closets.
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Naina Shah and Abhishek Honawar’s apartment is the couple’s airy, light-filled response to densely packed Manhattan WRITER ARATI MENON PHOTOGRAPHER BJÖRN WALLANDER
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t’s always interesting to get a glimpse into how people organize their homes and lives—especially in New York City, where dwelling in tight spaces is both a compulsion and a finely tuned art. The city redefines ‘small’, and it isn’t unusual here to live, eat, and entertain in a single room for much of your life. All around you see these tidy-living manifestos based on the principles of rearranging, minimizing and decluttering. This apartment, to be clear, is hardly tiny, but it is a testament to tidy (and smart) design. A one-bedroom in a pre-war building dating back to 1910, it sits at an enviable spot between the East Village and the Lower East Side. There’s a diverse history and an edgy vibrancy to the neighbourhood, consistently rated one of New York’s best for cocktail hour and dining out alike. Fitting then, that the apartment should belong to Naina Shah and Abhishek Honawar. Shah and Honawar are poster children for the global nomad generation: hyper-networked, sophisticated travellers, and successful entrepreneurs. Shah, who runs a couture embroidery business with her mother across Mumbai and New York, met Honawar—a partner at Mumbai’s Woodside Inn, The Pantry, and Jaipur’s 28 Kothi—in Mumbai through mutual friends. The two dated for some years before getting married. While Shah was born in New York, Honawar is a more recent transplant. When he moved, he dived right into the city’s heaving restaurant scene, co-founding Inday, a popular Flatiron restaurant that dishes out healthful India-inspired bowls. Its motto: good karma served daily. SPACE SHUFFLE Buying an apartment turned out to be an exercise in patience and
self-restraint. “We kept getting outbid on every place we liked; it was like everybody was playing with Monopoly money,” says Shah. As far as priorities go, for them, it wasn’t size so much as the potential for reshaping. “I don’t think we even really knew whether it was 600 square feet or 800 square feet. But we knew how we wanted to reorganize it to suit our lives,” says Shah. When the deal was done, one of their first decisions was to swap the living space and bedroom. “Earlier, the kitchen sat towards the bedroom, which made no sense. We redesigned it so that the living area and kitchen extend into each other. That way, when we entertain, we can have people flow in and out of one large space,” says Honawar. Light is a dominant feature in this inviting, airy apartment; and everything appears to be designed around letting that light fill the space. When the entry corridor was turned into a “real foyer”, a strategic cut-out was made in a wall to let the light pass into it from a kitchen window. “The apartment has great light, so the idea was to maximize it,” says Honawar. Windows are everywhere, but you’re struck by how little of the chaotic urban fabric you actually see. The bedroom, for instance, is defined by perfectly framed treetops. Shah recalls how so many of the other apartments they saw had every window looking out onto the brick wall of another building. A classic Manhattan situation. The couple decided not to employ an architect for the makeover, choosing instead to work with just a contractor, and relying on their own good sense and intuition. “We trusted him enough to leave for two months to go and get married in India, during which time a lot of the work got done,” says Honawar, “By then, he was a good friend.” There is a noticeable attention to context—in the decision to use New York subway tiles in the bathroom, for instance, or the replication of traditional moulding in keeping with the period of the property. The only real point of conflict, as they recall, was when it came to the
staining of the original floorboards. “I wanted ebony. How is this even ebony?” asks Shah. Few aesthetic, or practical, decisions were taken casually. An arched doorway, designed to mimic the doorways of many pre-war homes, leads from the living space to a kitchen with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets. It’s bright and contemporary but not without character; the dominating white is accented with blue cabinets and brass cabinet handles. The bathroom—again, predominantly white—is subtly transformed by a herringbone marble inlaid floor and offset slightly by pale grey walls. CHOOSING WISELY Smaller spaces force you to pay more attention to what you own, and what you display. Pieces here are chosen for being both comfortable and stylish; many of them picked up on the couple’s travels. A selection of art punctuates the space. It’s a home that escapes cultural pigeonholing, one that you walk into and imagine you’re anywhere in the world. Indian influences seep in unselfconsciously. Like the stools that Shah found languishing in a friend’s basement and restored; a pichhwai that was a wedding gift from a friend; handcrafted bone-inlay chairs from Jaipur; and handwoven textiles. What is most striking, though, is that this is a home built on a scale that’s perfect for privacy but extends itself to sociability; designed for living in, but also for gathering in. Understandable then, that friends choose to stay over even when they have homes in New York. “I mean, I’d love a fireplace, and maybe a second bedroom, but really, this is all we need,” says Shah. Plus, as they’ll admit, the apartment does have the one thing every great New York City building has. A live-in super who lets you in at 3am, keys forgotten, after a night on the tiles.
Facing page, top left: The pillows are by Jaipur-based clothing and textile brand Injiri. The paintings behind the sofa are from an art gallery in Barcelona. Facing page, top right: The dining table and chairs are a carefully edited mix of pieces. The bone-inlay chairs were designed by Sara Beltrán, who also produces Dezso, a jewellery line, out of Jaipur. The live-edge table is by a designer in Brooklyn. The bench was found at an antiques market in New York and reupholstered with French grain sack. The map in the corner is of 1800s Sri Lanka—one of the couple’s favourite destinations. Facing page, bottom: The idea was to keep the kitchen light and airy, so all appliances are white, set against predominantly white cabinetry with accents of blue. To take advantage of the high pre-war ceilings, the cabinets run all the way up. The block-printed rug is by Rasa.
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The earthy bedroom took its design cues from the light coming through its windows and the giant tree that sits right outside. The hammock hanging over the bed is from Mexico. Facing page, top left: The table lamp is a vintage glass bottle paired with a burlap shade; the bone-inlay mirror is a nod to Rajasthan. Facing page, top right: The archway that leads from the foyer to the rest of the apartment was used as reference when designing the arched doorway to the kitchen. The kitchen window looks onto a giant media wall space that gets painted over every few weeks. It serves as a changing landscape of mural art, a welcome alternative to the typical Manhattan view of a brick wall. Facing page, bottom right: In keeping with the light, bright theme, the bathroom was kept mostly white with some grey accents in the marble chevron ďŹ&#x201A;oor and pale grey walls. A large subway tile runs all the way up to the ceiling, in keeping with the pre-war bones of the apartment. Facing page, bottom left: A picture of Honawarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late grandmother sits on the dresser. The stools to the right of the dresser were rescued from a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basement in the Hamptons, scrubbed clean and brought home.
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In the sun-kissed sit-outs of a Rajasthani bungalow, Abhishek Honawar and jewellery designer Siddharth Kasliwal created a space where guests from around the world mingle over tall glasses of freshly squeezed mint juice. Welcome to 28 Kothi, Jaipur’s very own artisanal boutique hotel
WRITER TORA AGARWALA . STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
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Clockwise from top left: ‘Botanica Champa’ (Palmyra) wallpaper from the Silk Route by Good Earth collection, `16,000 per roll, Nilaya. The three doors at the entrance to 28 Kothi, as seen from the inside. The Kothi library features a hand-painted wall mural; the decor is by Nur Kaoukji. ‘Baby Harp’ side table, `15,000, Baro.
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28 KOTHI PHOTOS: AVINASH VASU
nce in front of 28 Kothi, the two-year-old boutique hotel owned by Jaipur-based jewellery designer Siddharth Kasliwal and run by Abhishek Honawar’s Honawar Hospitality, you’re in a veritable conundrum. Three identical doors are before you, and beyond one lies the prize. However, this is no Monty Hall problem, and there are no goats. But there is a prize, and you get it whichever door you might choose. Enter and behold: bolstered charpoys and grandfather lounge chairs, fairy-lit trees and tubs filled with floating petals, bougainvillea and verdurous palms—and beyond, a daffodil-yellow bungalow. Built by French architect Georges Floret as a space to house the guests of Gem Palace (founded by Siddharth’s father, the legendary Munnu Kasliwal), 28 Kothi emerged
in its current avatar on a crisp January morning of 2016. In the two years it’s been around, it’s been home to both connoisseurs and creators of the arts—artists from Brooklyn, designers from Paris, writers from London, and every January, the quintessential Lit Fest-goer from a distant corner of the world—serving them, via its farmfresh, wholly organic vegetarian menu, a different kind of Jaipur. The five-roomed boutique hotel has “every light fixture, every table, every chair, every accessory, and every printed fabric” done by Jaipur-based Nur Kaoukji, a Lebanese designer and founder of lifestyle brand Ecru. “Jaipur is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities in the world—the colours, the mayhem, the handicraft,” she says, “You’re inspired all the time.” An inspiration that seeps well beyond the triad of portals at 28 Kothi—in the palm fronds, typical of Rajasthan, painted as large murals on every wall, in the latticed light patterns that filter in through the jali-cut windows, and in Jaipur’s favourite bird, the parakeet (“the 6pm one I see every evening!”) that is represented in paintings, candle stands and doorknobs all around the place. “28 Kothi is where you come back to sleep,” says Kaoukji. “A sanctuary that lets you absorb what you saw during the day. A space that epitomizes the heady riotous colours of Jaipur, but in the quietest way possible.” Winner winner, Kothi dinner.
“Jaipur is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities in the world.... You’re inspired all the time.” – Nur Kaoukji
Clockwise from top right: ‘Azura’ copper and brass planters, `2,499 each, vilaasita.com. ‘Change of Plane’ wood-fired stoneware bowl, `3,700, MINIM. ‘Kaze’ cushion, `1,650, Nicobar. ‘Damask’ (pagoda blue) carpet, `43,200 onwards, Mishcat Co. ‘Blub’ candle stand by Saif Faisal, `2,640, Bolia.com. Sapphire is a second-floor suite with a private terrace. The jali pattern is one of the signature motifs at the hotel.
For details, see Stockists
Architect Massimiliano Locatelli gave the Torre Velasca—an icon of Milan’s architectural renaissance—a second life. In return, it gave him a home to live in WRITER PALLAVI PUNDIR . PHOTOGRAPHER MATTIA IOTTI
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PHOTO: ELISA LOCCI/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Architect Massimiliano Locatelli occupies the 23rd floor at the Torre Velasca. One of the most significant structures in Milan, it has 18 lower storeys for offices and professional studios, and eight upper floors dedicated to residential apartments.
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The sparse living room, which is connected to the terrace, is dotted with modern and minimal furniture. The sofas are a contrasting black against the white walls, with original Torre Velasca lighting overhead.
The living room sees artworks by Alexander May. The black leather sofa (1960) on the left is from Kill International. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sofa ML04â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (2016) by Locatelli is characterized by a mechanism that allows the lower backrest to be removed, turning it into a bench seat when needed.
The table in the passage is by Le Corbusier. Facing page: The closet room is home to a table and a 1974 sofa by Osvaldo Borsani. Alexander May’s artwork adorns the wall. The ‘ML01’ chair, in raw iron and stained black fabric, has been designed by Locatelli.
The bedroom has a 1951 bed by Le Corbusier, along with an original 1957 table by the same designer from Santa Marie de La Tourette Convent (France). The 1950 industrial lamp is by Charlotte Perriand. Facing page: A shot of the passage.
The terrace has ‘Cai Ban’ tables and ‘Cai Ghi’ stools made of pure white marble, designed by Locatelli in 2013.
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f Milton’s “heav’n” found a place “above all height”, so must Milan’s 26-storeyed Torre Velasca, standing at nearly 100 metres. This architectural paradise— built in 1958 by the Milanese Studio BBPR (an acronym of its founder architects’ last names: Gianluigi Banfi, Lodovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti, and Ernesto Nathan-Rogers) as a symbol of modern Italian architecture, rises out of its surroundings like a lighthouse in a sea of urban chaos. The structure has 18 lower storeys housing offices and professional studios, and eight upper residential levels. It looms large and grey— its cement cast in situ—with tapered ribs along its facade. It is a visual allegory that captures the architectural motifs of abstract medieval references against the setting of the city’s economic boom after World War II. Laying claim to 85 square metres (with a terrace that spreads across eight metres) of this seemingly unassailable fortress, are Milan-based CLS Architetti’s Massimiliano Locatelli and his new apartment. “It’s been restored, not designed,” says the 51-year-old, “It’s as one might have done with a painting.” We prod him for more, and he reveals aspects of history that he loves to adapt, uniting contemporary craftsmanship with architectural context. Historically, Torre Velasca has drawn both awe and criticism for its features. Designed to loom over its surrounding structures, the building rose from the ashes of World War II. It was created to reconcile history within post-war Europe, and encapsulated the struggle to redefine modern architecture in Italy by infusing context into technological idealism. BBPR’s Rogers believed modernism to be “a part of a larger process of historical continuity.” And so there it was, as its creators had envisioned, a modern building at a “historical centre…that [breathed] the atmosphere of the place and even [intensified] it” —a true tribute to Milan. But not everyone felt this way and the structure was at the receiving end of the debate led by celebrated architecture critic, Reyner Banham, who attacked the neo-liberty style of Italian architecture through the Velasca. He considered it as a representative of Italian architecture’s retreat into “escape fatalism”—the embracing of regional, vernacular and even nostalgic values, as opposed to the functionalist and rationalist doctrines of the modern movement. It was within this context that Locatelli found himself a home. “I chose Torre Velasca because to me, it is the most beautiful building in Milan,” he says, “and it helps that it is close to my office.” HEAVENS ABOVE We have seen bespoke, and close-to-divine interventions by Locatelli and his founder-partners Giovanna Cornelio and Annamaria Scevola before. One was in the form of an 18th-century townhouse,
placed between another building and a church. Another 2015 apartment was chiselled out of a 1960s Brutalist building. The firm’s own Milan studio is housed within one of three deconsecrated churches from the 16th century in Milan (it was once used by Napoleon as a warehouse!). Called the Chiesa San Paolo Converso, the structure is complete with Renaissance frescoes of cherubs, deities with lutes, and skirmishing soldiers. CLS added glass meeting rooms that touch the ceilings, a kitchen, and a ‘table of ideas’ within the crypt. The studio touches the site so lightly that it makes next to no contact with the original structure. “I love to reinterpret tradition with contemporaneity—the past with the present. It is very important for me to consider the context of the place and add contemporary elements,” says Locatelli. Given the firm’s reputation, it was no surprise that when Locatelli first saw the Torre Velasca space about two years ago—when the firm became involved in restoring the building—he didn’t want to alter an inch of the apartment. He retained the chromatic palette “as intended by BBPR”, and restored it to its original state. “The building had seen many occupants over the decades. People came and went, and inevitably, the space changed too. [But] Massimiliano knew the original structure of the building; he had studied the structure as part of his course in college,” says Nadine d’Archemont, from CLS, who has worked with him for over three years. EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED The apartment is anything but a project. All the furniture and furnishings have been acquired over time, except some elements such as the lighting, which came with the apartment. “You’ll see works by Alexander May, Hugo Tillman, Martin LaBorde, Carol Rama and [Bruno] Munari, among others— people whom I have met over the years. I love art, as you will see in my engagement with Chiesa San Paolo Converso. We have held exhibitions in our office space by artists such as Franco Mazzucchelli and Asad Raza. We will now bring Will Benedict for another show,” says the architect who is currently working on projects in Vietnam, China, the US, and even India (a private one in Mumbai that is in its early stages). The apartment opens up to a corridor, which, if you take a left, leads to the kitchen; and if you take a right, to the living room, which is connected to a terrace. With a bedroom and two bathrooms, the apartment ends at a large study. The furniture, apart from Locatelli’s, includes classic pieces by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Ico Parisi, Franco Albini, and Vittorio Vigano. In the midst of all this, much like Milton’s parabolic realm from where we draw our analogy, light flows freely. It is said that each man creates his own heaven—this one, all light and clean lines, is Locatelli’s.
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When he’s not practising yoga, or promoting Ayurveda, Vivek Sahni creates designs and events that are as unique as they are beautiful. His New Delhi home brings together the ancient and modern with sophisticated élan
ASSISTED BY DAVID FERNANDEZ PEREZ
WRITER SUNIL SETHI . PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON WATSON
The round Victorian table is from Kolkata; standing on it is a bronze hand from Thailand. In the background—by the French window with the fanlight—is a bronze Shiva on a console. Facing page: The artwork above the living room fireplace is a French academic study of a Moor; on the right are English drawings.
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The wooden stools are tribal artefacts. In the background, on the left, is a wooden yali from Tamil Nadu. The marble-topped tables were designed by Dave Changâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;homeowner Vivek Sahniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business partner.
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Sahni designed the mirrored, gold-leaf screen on the right. The windows open out to the walled garden. The armchairs in the foreground are upholstered in moire. The cushions were embroidered by Kashmir-based furniture and textile designer Javed Abdulla.
On the dining table is a 1930s Baccarat vase. The assortment of stone sculptures in the dining room—including the Indian Vishnu and Cambodian torso—are from Sahni’s grandfather’s collection.
Above left: Above this side table is an early-20th-century painted textile from Rajasthan. Above right: A collection of artworks, including works by Bhupen Khakhar and Nataraj Sharma; Sahni inherited the antique stone and terracotta pieces. Below right: The red ochre cottage, as seen from the rear veranda of the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main house. Below left: Above the sofa in the study is a set of pin-up images by British photographer David Bailey. On the painted chest and side table are a statue of Garuda and a south Indian bronze respectively.
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roduct and graphic designer Vivek Sahni’s home is a rarity in Lutyens’ Delhi. It’s a compact cottage sequestered in the gardens of a perfectly preserved colonial bungalow on a quality street that forms the winding, tree-shaded periphery between Safdarjung’s Tomb and Lodi Gardens. There was a time, up until the 1980s, when such adjuncts or outhouses to main houses were much sought after as rentals by the more discerning diplomats, foreign correspondents, and others who formed part of the capital’s itinerant, cosmopolitan set. But as the bungalows themselves underwent major changes or redevelopment, many of these smaller buildings disappeared. It was Sahni’s energetic, charming mother Rupa who bucked the tide. She preserved the cottage, built at about the same time as the main family house, circa 1936, modernizing it for comfort but without altering its period features. The 11-foot-tall walls with simple cornices and skylights stayed. French windows were introduced to bring in views of the rear garden; damaged parts of the old terrazzo flooring were replaced with chaste white marble; and a fireplace was added to ward off New Delhi’s winter cold. Some years ago, when she offered the one-bedroom cottage with a study—about 2,100 square feet of space—to Sahni as a home of his own, he was too preoccupied with launching one of his ventures to consider undertaking a planned renovation. “It was a little bit shambolic,” he says, “but I hurriedly moved in.” BRAND MASTER Sahni is a man of many talents. He’s one of the names behind Kama Ayurveda products, and the owner of Vivek Sahni Design, a high-end graphic design company that creates everything from elegant wedding invitations to book jackets and product branding. His latest venture is Vayu, the widely admired design-for-living store at Bikaner House, which retails a stylish melange of clothing, furniture and carefully chosen art objects from around the country. His own home, however, like Topsy from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, “just grow’d”. Nothing, he says, was overly planned, and there was only one major amendment—a bathroom adjoining the dining room had to go because “the dining table wouldn’t fit”. Such practical concerns aside, Sahni’s abode is an expression of a highly individualist and discerning sensibility, a lifetime of travel, and wideranging friendships and interests. These are reflected not just in the
collection of beautiful things here but the way they are put together. Several pieces of colonial furniture came from his mother’s house; the scattering of antique sculptures and terracottas were inherited from his grandfather. To these Sahni has added some choice acquisitions: for example, the splendid 17th-century palampore textile displayed above a painted chest from Sri Lanka in the dining room; a pair of monumental yalis (mythical creatures, often seen sculpted into the pillars of ancient Hindu temples) from Tamil Nadu in the living room; and an arresting bronze of a deva’s hand from Thailand, placed on the round hall table found in Kolkata. Only a trained eye may spot the difference between the old and new. A splendid bronze icon of Shiva on a console table gleaming in the filtered light from the French windows is, in fact, a recent copy, cast by a master craftsman in south India. The tall, mirrored screens in gold-leaf frames that flank a sofa in the main seating area are of Sahni’s own devising, placed there to give the space depth and light. MODERN MAN Sahni is nothing if not a modernist, and the assemblage of classical objects is perfectly counterpointed by a selection of contemporary art. Large works by Nataraj Sharma and Vivek Vilasini draw your attention, together with smaller works by Bhupen Khakhar; a shining rendition of a bindi by Bharti Kher; and, above a sofa, a corpus of nine black-and-white drawings—a poignant memorial to an itinerant life—by New York-based artist Zarina Hashmi. On a study wall, like a throwback to a celebrity quiz from the 1970s, there is a diverting series of black-and-white photographs of pop icons, by British photographer David Bailey. Friends, too, contributed to the comfort and ease of Sahni’s home. The sofas were custom-made by British interior designer Oliver Musker and Kashmir-based furniture and textile designer Javed Abdulla, the latter also supplying the cushions with Kashmiri embroidery; and the square, marble-topped coffee tables on brass frames were designed by Sahni’s partner Dave Chang. One of Sahni’s appealing characteristics is his gift for understatement. Despite a remarkable track record in multiple areas of design and retail businesses he is unfailingly modest about his achievements. Likewise for the panache of his cottage, a hideout that combines repose with flourishes of innovation and flair. Preferring to pass on credit to family, friends and associates, he sounds surprised if complimented on his skilful adaptation of a family home. “I really don’t know how it came together,” he says laughingly, scratching his head. “It sort of just happened.”
Get the distinct look of this house in New Delhi—filled with Indian and colonial antiques—designed by its owner, Vivek Sahni STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
PHOTO: SIMON WATSON; ASSISTED BY DAVID FERNANDEZ PEREZ
The set of nine drawings by Zarina Hashmi, titled Houses I Have Lived In: A Life, is flanked by tall gold-leafed mirrors designed by Vivek Sahni. An assortment of objects in metal, wood, glass and terracotta decorate the tables.
Several pieces of colonial furniture came from Vivek Sahni’s mother’s house; the scattering of antique sculptures and terracottas were inherited from his grandfather. ‘SMOKY’ VASE, `6,200, MARBLED OCHRE PLATTER, `2,500, CUROCARTE.COM
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MULTICOLOURED SEQUINNED CUSHION, `2,999, IKAT EMBROIDERY CUSHION, `1,999, ANNA SIMONA
ANTIQUE TEAK KOREAN BENCH, `97,00, FRANGIPANI
‘VILLAGE’ RUG (5.6x8 FEET) BY ARTEMIS, `54,200, JAIPUR RUGS
SILVER BHUTA FIGURE, PRICE ON REQUEST, PHILLIPS ANTIQUES
Located inside Bikaner House, a restored colonial mansion near India Gate, New Delhi, the Vayu store has been designed and curated by founders Sahni and Dave Chang.
PHOTO: VIVEK SAHNI
PHOTOGRAPHERS: SHAMANTH PATIL J, INDRAJIT SATHE. ASSISTANT STYLIST: LEANNE ALCASOAS.
FRENCH SIDE TABLE, PRICE ON REQUEST, TAHERALLY’S
TEAK DINING CHAIR, `10,000, MARAM
‘LONGPI DESIGNER’ NUT BOWL, `840, HANDIKART.CO.IN
MOUNTED DANCER’S BELT, `79,125, ARTISERA.COM
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35% off on annual subscription delivered monthly to your doorstep Free gift hamper from L’Oréal Paris worth `1595 Digital Subscription at introductory price of `500 (save 48% plus get a free gift)
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inside WAT E RWO R L D The latest ideas in bathrooms and home spas are saturated with style STYLIST SAMIR WADEKAR
The ‘HIM’ faucet designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba for Zucchetti is available through New Delhibased Intersekt. Radical, compact and streamlined, the product was designed to keep the quantity of materials used to a minimum, creating a lightweight object.
EXPERT ADVICE, DECOR TIPS, AND STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR THE CONTEMPORARY INDIAN HOME
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NATUR AL WONDER
TREVOR TONDRO
This American home designed by Fiona McLean, a principal architect at London firm McLean Quinlan, features an earthy spa with floor stones sourced locally from Snake River, Wyoming. The door handle is by homeowner Rico Zorkendorfer.
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1. ‘Rythme Cobble Mosaic’ tile by Ann Sacks, at C Bhogilal West-End. 2. ‘Strio Hector Wood Teak’ planks from the Digital Durages collection, Somany Ceramics. 3. ‘AXOR 350 1jet’ overhead shower, Hansgrohe. 4. Wooden bathtub, Bartok Design. 5. ‘Monumental’ holder by Atelier DS, Natty.in. 6. The Nest bathroom collection by Pentagon Design, VitrA.
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MATTHIEU SALVAING
Carved from a single block of rare Arabescato Fantastico marble, the tub in a suite designed by Karl Lagerfeld, for Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, takes its shape from fountains at the Vatican.
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1. ‘Arabescato’ stone, A Class Marble. 2. ‘Rainshower F-Series 40inch AquaSymphony’ ceiling shower, Grohe. 3. Crystal chandelier, Timothy Oulton Gallery. 4. ‘Escuadra Pure’ faucet, Roca. 5. ‘Rêve’ freestanding bathtub, Kohler. 6. ‘Boogie’ mirror by Devon & Devon, Keha Casa. 7. ‘Aqua Xtream’ hand shower, Häfele.
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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
This skylit bath at a mid-century Los Angeles house was renovated by Richard Meier & Partners Architects in the 1990s, in the firm’s timeless minimalism.
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1. ‘Geometric’ tiles from the Heritage collection, Bharat Floorings and Tiles. 2. ‘Red Roses’ room spray, Jo Malone. 3. The ‘Controverso’ marble sinks designed by Paolo Ulian for Antoniolupi, Keha Casa. 4. ‘Filis’ faucet, Delta Faucets. 5. ‘Seerose’ bathtub, Sternhagen. 6. ‘Cruiser’ toilet, Cera.
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MATTHIEU SALVAING
Pierre Sauvage, of Casa Lopez, designed his Parisian master bath with an oculus in the ceiling—which opens to the dressing room above—a Jacob Delafon tub, and Volevatch tub fittings and towel rack.
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1. ‘Blue N°02’ panel from the Glass3 collection, SICIS. 2. ‘Quado’ water heater, Usha. 3. ‘Tiara’ basin mixer, Artize. 4. ‘Aqua-Sense’ shower, Graff. 5. ‘Creme Pogonotomienne’ shaving cream, L’Officine Universelle Buly. 6. ‘Luv’ bathtub, Duravit.
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PHOTO BY TIM STREET-PORTER, DESIGN BY DAVID SERRANO AND ROBERT WILLSON
David Serrano designed the limestone tub for the master bath at his home in Mérida, Mexico. The fittings are from Waterworks; the chandelier dates back to the 1920s.
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1. ‘Breton Stone Captiva’ ceramic floor tile (600x600mm), Nitco. 2. Over-the-counter washbasin from the Lavabo series, Queo. 3. Apricot body scrub, Junaili. 4. The Symphony bathroom suite by Manish Malhotra for Alchymi, Lacasa. 5. ‘Nude’ faucet by Sybille de Margerie for Zucchetti, Intersekt. 6. ‘Salish Sea’ bathtub, Seth Rolland. 7. ‘T3’ teak washbasin, Solli Concepts.
For details, see Stockists
Entertainer of the Decade Shahrukh Khan
THE TASTE OF GLORY On September 24, the tallest stilettos in town tick-tocked their way to Grand Hyatt Mumbai to celebrate Vogue India’s 10th anniversary—albeit in style at the much-awaited Women of The Year 2017 award show. From business tycoons to film personas, fashion authorities to glittering socialites—the who’s who of India graced the black-tie event to commemorate the most illustrious men and women in the country. A set of 19 coveted awards chose winners from varied fields and ages. And as the esteemed guest list raised a toast to the inspirational women of the country, the glasses clinked to mark a new milestone for them, as much as it did for Vogue India. the The stage all set for
awards
Host Archie Panjabi in Gaurav Gupta and IBM’s artifical intelligence-inspired sari gown
Influencer of the Decade Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
The all new BMW 7 series
Global Philanthropist and Style Icon of the Year - Natalia Vodianova
Condé Nast’s Alex Kuruvilla with Namita Kuruvilla
Vogue and BMW Game Changer of the Year - Anushka Sharma
Anil Kapoor
IBM and Gaurav Gupta’s interactive art installation
Arjun Kapoor and Athiya Shetty present the Innovator of the Year award to Nina Tandon
hion Icon Vogue and IWC Fas Kapoor nam So r Yea of the
Vogue’s Priya Tanna and Anshuman Tanna The IWC Schaffhausen display
Opinion Maker of the YearTwinkle Khanna
Gauri Khan, Man of the Year – Karan Johar and Shweta Nanda Bachchan
Global Philanthropist and Leader of the Year - Nita Ambani
The Yes Bank display
Vogue’s Anaita Shroff Adajania
Dr Cyrus Poonawalla and Natasha Poonawalla from the Serum Institute of India
Rajkummar Rao pre sen Sportsperson of the ting the Year award to
Google’s Rajan Anandan and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari present the Vogue and Colors Infinity Young Achiever of the Year award to Deepika Kumari
Mithali Raj
Tastemaker of the Year – Padma Lakshmi
Arshad Warsi & Maria Goretti
Condé Nast’s Arjun Mehra
Crusader of the Year – Karuna Nundy
Isha Ambani Manish Malhotra
Tandon presenting the Bank’s Rakhee Kapoor Aditi Rao Hydari and Yes Designer of the Year award to Anita Dongre Vogue and Yes Bank
Beauty Pioneer of the Year - Mira Kulkarni
Jim Sarbh
Moët & Chandon champagne fountain
Kriti Sanon
Vogue and Colors Infinity Young Achiever of the Year -Dr Krithi Karanth
Kiran Rao and Anupama Chopra present the Philanthropist of the Year award to Roshni Nadar Malhotra
Business Leader of the Year - Arundhati Bhattacharya
Vogue and Color s Young Achiever Infinity of - Ketholeno Kens the Year e
Masaba Mantena
Jai Shroff
Vogue’s Dilshad Arora
Ujjwala Raut
Roohi Jaikishan Simone Arora Kulsum Shadab Wahab
Aranyani’s Haresh Mirpuri
Shalini Passi
The Aranyani display
Gaurav Gupta The Carolina Herrera display
IBM’s Vasantha Kumar and Susan Jain
IWC’s Luc Rochereau
BMW’s Vikram Pawah
Radhika Apte
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AT T E N T I O N TO R E TA I L
Shopping online might be on the rise, and traditional brick-and-mortar stores on their way out, but a handful of Indian bath decor brands are using strategically designed spaces to change the way we buy WRITER DIVYA MISHRA
The Kohler Experience Center by Studio Lotus, in New Delhi, features the ‘Marrakesh on Camber’ (left) and ‘Kamala’ wash basins with framed images of their respective top views. Above: The exterior facade of New Delhi’s 30,000-square-foot Intersekt boutique designed by Kapil Aggarwal.
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een from the outside, the Keha Casa experience centre in Bengaluru’s upscale Ulsoor neighbourhood might cause a moment of confusion. Its understated facade gives nothing away; this space could be selling anything—from jewellery, to chocolate, to perfume, to the space itself. Designed by architect Vikram Phadke, the approximately 8,000-square-foot experience centre has mirrored ceilings that reflect the delicate lighting, surfaces of all colours and textures (including one made of Murano glass), and a see-through staircase straight out of a surrealist dream. “We wanted clients who step in to be stunned,” says Hameed Khan, who co-founded the Keha Casa brand along with Kekin Shah. Khan and Shah, with the Keha Casa experience centre, are behind one of the home interior brands reinventing retail space design in the country. No longer satisfied with “average” store designs that only showcased products, Khan wanted, specifically, to give customers “the feeling of shopping at, say, a Louis Vuitton... at an international store”. Not even a year old, the experience centre, he says, is changing the way customers buy. But even more than just sales, Khan impresses that his and Shah’s decision to set up Keha Casa was driven by the idea of putting one such retail experience on the global map. This amping up of retail formats is taking place across the country for a variety of reasons. Up north in New Delhi, siblings Vidur and >
The Carpet Cellar Rare Persian Carpets, Modern Carpets, Kilims, Textiles and Pashmina Shawls
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Far left: Bengaluru’s 8,000-squarefoot Keha Casa experience centre features a grand glass staircase designed by Milan-based Carlo Santambrogio. Above: This designer suite in the Kohler Experience Center has been designed by CCBA’s Christopher Benninger and Ramprasad Akkisetti. Left: The ‘Introverso’ sink by Paolo Ulian for Antoniolupi at Keha Casa.
< Ridhi Arora engaged the services of architect Kapil Aggarwal to
design Intersekt, their 30,000-square-foot home decor boutique. “The primary business model of Marmo Home, [Intersekt’s parent brand], was wholesale and distribution. The idea behind creating Intersekt was to expand the business model and create a space that would not only allow the client to visualize their spaces better, but also understand the various applications of tiles,” says Ridhi. The four-storeyed building’s origami-esque exterior is done up in a series of pale tiles, which are offset by a charcoal-coloured installation of angular planes, that, well, intersect. It is both a salute to the brand name, as well as a nod to Intersekt’s parent company, Marmo Home, which deals primarily in tiles. Inside, tiles of all shapes, sizes, formats, and designs can be seen—in an art deco-inspired backdrop, as doors to a set of lockers on a wall, as standalone panels, and, of course, in specially curated simulations of living spaces. “Through this experience-driven space, we wanted to convey to clients that tiles are also a luxury product,” says Vidur. SHOWER POWER Also in New Delhi is the Kohler Experience Center, which opened in June last year. The brand roped in some big names, enlisting architect
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Ambrish Arora, of Studio Lotus, to design the centre, which also features design collaborations with Sarbjit Singh (Fabinteriors), Christopher Benninger and Ramprasad Akkisetti (CCBA), Husna Rahaman (The Fulcrum Studio), Sanjay Puri (Sanjay Puri Architects), Vikram Phadke (Interspace), Zubin Zainuddin and Krupa Zubin (ZZ Architects), and Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand (Khosla Associates). “This is a space we created as a social hub for our architects and designers—one that inspires our customers too,” said Salil Sadanandan of Kohler. Spread over two floors and 10,000 square feet, the space is demarcated into four zones: The Warehouse, The Lab, The Inspiration Zone and The Café, which are meant to showcase the product range and innovations, and inspire customers to reimagine what bathroom spaces could look like. Last year also saw the launch of the Lacasa digitally integrated concept stores by sanitaryware giant HSIL. The Lacasa experience centres are part of HSIL’s new business initiatives and, in keeping with the times, are digitally integrated for easy selection of products. Consumers are provided a smart device with which to capture their favourite products and place them into a smart screen to create customized bathrooms. Moving away from simple productcentric displays, the Lacasa centres feature theme-based bathroom suites with live showers and faucets, to create a real-time experience for consumers. Over the years, bathrooms in India have evolved from mere utilitarian rooms to spa-like, luxury-oriented spaces in which homeowners can pamper themselves. With these experiential concept stores by high-end home decor brands, Indian consumers will now also be spoilt for choice.
Amplify your online social influence with the help of Vogue Portfolio – an online marketing and discovery platform for established and budding design professionals. By creating compelling content that speaks about your brand, it allows you to reach potential customers beyond the metros, generate leads and a lot more….
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SOME OF THE FEATURED DESIGNERS
ANITA KANWAL
MATI
NEHA VASWANI
This label brings traditional styles with contemporary elegance together to ensure that saris become the chosen attire for every Indian woman across the globe. Giving a modern twist to India’s popular six-yard staple, Anita Kanwal’s designs can be paired with dhotis, skirts, tulip pants and even jeans!
Inspired by soil and its moldable nature, Fatima K Punjaabi’s label ‘MATI’ is all about effortless, breezy and free-flowing silhouettes. The brand’s ‘Peta Approved Vegan’ designs exude an organic rawness with natural, earthy colours, almost as though they’re a tribute to nature itself.
Known for her refreshing embroidery and chic silhouettes, Neha Vaswani’s eponymous label is easily one of the best finds! With a design focus on unconventional cuts, exquisite fabrics and intricate detailing, the brand aims to bring you exquisite ensembles at affordable prices.
SEASON’S FAVOURITES This printed denim sari with hand painted trumpets and suede leather tassels pairs perfectly with fitted or ripped jeans, making it the most stunning denim-on-denim pick for the winters. Throw on a denim waistcoat or even a tan leather jacket with boots to enhance its quirky appeal.
This piece titled “Aboli Aakaar” is a reflection of the happy swaying of nature springing to life. Named after the Sanskrit ‘firecracker flower’, the deep red dress has an innovative silhouette that makes it both chic and casual. Definitely a wardrobe staple for this season!
Wondering what to wear for a destination wedding? This exquisite outfit will complement almost any setting—be it a dreamy beach, a quaint hillside or a glamorous city. Dainty, airy and off-beat, this light pink lehenga set is everything you need to stand tall and elegant!
GET LISTED ON VOGUE PORTFOLIO! REACH OUT TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE.
inside
NAMITA KURUVILLA, GAYATRI RANGACHARI SHAH, CONDÉ NAST INDIA’S ALEX KURUVILLA
AD PUBLISHER DEEPA BHATIA, JAGDIP JAGPAL
TIRTHANKAR GANGULY, AMRITA PURKAYASTHA
‘THE CACTUS CALCULUS’ (ACT IV) BY PRINCESS PEA
HEAD SPACE
INA AND SANJAY ARORA
SHILPA GUPTA AND RAJIV SAINI
Lodha Altamount got a new resident this November: undercover performance artist Princess Pea. The artist played host to Mumbai’s glitterati as she and the actors who played her proxies engaged in collecting time, memory, desire, hope, perseverance, and ultimately, destiny.
SHIREEN GANDHY
SHIMUL JHAVERI KADRI
USHA MIRCHANDANI
ELSIE NANJI, NEENA NAIDU
THE LODHA ALTAMOUNT BUILDING MODEL DISPLAYED IN THE LOBBY
SUNIL AND USHA GAWDE, NATASHA AND SUMIR TAGRA
PHIROSA NETERWALA, SUNU AIBARA
PRIYA JAIKISHAN, KHORSHED PUNDOLE
ATUL DODIYA
SHEFALI BALWANI AND ROBERT VERRIJT
UJJWALA RAUT
PRINCESS PEA
ROOHI AND CHETAN JAIKISHAN, MANEKA THADANI
GAURAV AND PRATIMA BHATIA
AMANDINE SCHIRA
TARA LAL AND MORTIMER CHATERJEE
inside
GREG FOSTER, RAVI VAZIRANI
FABIEN CHARUAU, EVE LEMESLE
DIVYA THAKUR
ROOSHAD SHROFF
ALEX KURUVILLA, MANISH MAKER
PRERNA GOEL
PETER AND ERIKA BORN AKSHAY TYAGI, SHARAN PAREKH, SUHANI PAREKH
PRINCESS PEA ON THE PIANO (ACT I)
NIKHIL MANSATA
PRINCESS PEA DURING ACT II OF HER PERFORMANCE
NISHA JAMVWAL
DIANA MARIAN MUREK
ALOK NANDA
NIMISH SHAH, MANSI PODDAR
TEAM AD
WOL BASTON
NOELLE KADAR
DARSHINI SHAH
GAURI DEVIDAYAL
inside
SUMANT AND IQRUP DHAMIJA, AD EDITOR GREG FOSTER
KOHELIKA KOHLI, AD PUBLISHER DEEPA BHATIA
SUNITA KOHLI, PETER D’ASCOLI
JINGLE BELL ROCK
New Delhi’s finest turned up in style for ’s Deconstructed Christmas brunch at The Library Bar atThe Leela Palace. Guests partook in the delectable fare— contemporary takes on seasonal classics such as mulled wine, turkey with all the trimmings, gingerbread cookies, yule logs and more. also handed out a collection of design-themed gifts to ensure guests left in high spirits.
AMRITA GUHA, JOYA NANDURDIKAR MIKE AND PREETI KNOWLES
GUNJAN GUPTA
MANISH ARORA
IRAM SULTAN, BHAVNA KAKAR
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ENDA NOONE, NIKHIL SHARMA
CECILE D’ASCOLI
VINIT AGARWAL, GAUTAM AND RUCHIKA BAID
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
VIVEK SAHNI, DIKSHU KUKREJA
MARTAND KHOSLA, PURU DAS
SHIVAN BHATIYA, NARRESH KUKREJA
SIDHARTHA TALWAR
VAIBHAV DIMRI
SHYMA SHETTY, PRANAV MISRA
ISHRAT SAHGAL
YOGESH CHAUDHARY
TEAM AD
DRINKS FOR THE AFTERNOON COURTESY JACOBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CREEK
ANUPAM PODDAR, NIKHIL SHARMA
RIDHI AND VIDUR ARORA
ANJALI PURI
DIVYA BAJAJ, HITESHI WADHWA
APOORV AGARWAL
SURBHI SETHI
SHALINI AND SUNIL SETHI
PAREINA THAPAR
CHRISTMAS BUFFET AT THE LEELA
CHRISTMAS TREE BY MAXIMILIANO MODESTI
RAJESH AND PREKSHA BHANDARI, RAMESH BHANDARI, SARVASWA CHHAJER
FARZIN ADENWALLA
inside
DRINKS FROM JACOB’S CREEK
RAJIV SAINI
NURU KARIM
CONDÉ NAST INDIA’S ALEX KURUVILLA, APOORVA SHROFF, EKTA PAREKH
UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE
A toasty December Sunday had Mumbai’s beau monde congregate for a stylish Christmas brunch at the LodhaWorld Towers, complete with a lifesize Christmas tree, specially created by master embroiderer, Maximiliano Modesti for . Think, sun-hats, shades, sangria and in the horizon, the tallest residential tower in the world.
BRINDA AND ALFAZ MILLER
FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS AT THE VENUE COURTESY INTERFLORA
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RAVI VAZIRANI, AD PUBLISHER DEEPA BHATIA
JASEM PIRANI, NAMRATA TIDKE
KUNAAL KYHAAN SEOLEKAR
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
ELSIE NANJI
AD EDITOR GREG FOSTER, GAURI DEVIDAYAL, CONDÉ NAST INDIA’S ARJUN MEHRA, CINDY JOURDAIN, PRITI MAHAJAN
DURGA GAWDE, KRSNAA MEHTA, MARLIES BLOEMENDAAL
RAJESH AND PREKSHA BHANDARI
CONDÉ NAST INDIA’S ANITA HORAM, DIVYA THAKUR
SHWETA MALHOTRA
KEKIN SHAH
FAROOQ AND MUBINA ISSA
LEKHA WASHINGTON
A CHEESE PLATTER, PART OF THE DELECTABLE SPREAD ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN
SUKRITI SHARMA, RATI SHARMA
ADITI DUGAR
MANGESH LUNGARE
AD MANAGING EDITOR SANHITA SINHA CHOWDHURY
MANEKA THADANI, GREG FOSTER, MANSI PODDAR, NIMISH SHAH
ONJALI MIRCHANDANI
SHEFALI BALWANI, SAKET SETHI
TEAM AD
SEJAL SHAH
NISHITA KAMDAR
KANISHTHA DHANKAR
MEVIN MURDEN, DIANA MARIAN MUREK
ERIKA AND PETER BORN
TAKEAWAY GIFTS FROM NOMAD
AKASH GULATI
A NIGHT TO SHINE All roads led to the Taj Lands End, Mumbai, on 2nd August, 2017 as Vogue celebrated their 8th annual Vogue Beauty Awards to recognise and honour the beauty industry’s most coveted products, services and experts. It was a night of shimmer and shine, as Waluscha De Sousa kept things stirring as she hosted the event, this time even more special, given this year also marked 10 years of Vogue in India. The awards saw some of the biggest stars and influencers in attendance as the winners were announced in a glittering ceremony. As one of the most anticipated events on the Vogue calendar, it was definitely yet another double-tap-worthy #VogueBeautyAwards.
Bachchan, eta Nanda Bachchan, Jaya Ageless Beauty winners Shw Amitabh Bachchan ner win n Ma iest Sex s a’ Navya Naveli Nanda and Indi
Vogue’s Priya Tanna
Most Beautiful Man of the Decade Akshay Kumar
RAW Pressery booth
Most Beautiful Couple Mira and Shahid Kapoor
Most Beautiful Global Indian Icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
VBA judge Karisma Kapoor
Condé Nast’s Alex Kuruvilla with Vogue’s Nidhi Sharma Punjabi
Trends’ Shimmer and
Shine booth
Condé Nast’s Arjun Mehra and L’Oréal’s Shalini Raghavan
From left - Indus try Super Hero wi nners Aalim Hakim Clint Fernandes, Ambika Pillai, M , Adhuna Bhaban ickey Contracto r, Nalini Naegam i, Deepa Verma, vala, Kanta Mot wani and Namrat a
Soni
The Best Kept Secret
Trends’ Vanya Mishra
Vogue’s Anaita Shroff Adajania
Natasha Poonawalla
RAW Pressery’s Anuj Rakyan and Atiya Mulla
Our beverage partner Fratelli Wines
VBA Judge Karishma Manga Bedi at the Forest Essentials experiential booth for Blend No 10, Vogue’s 10th anniversary solid scent
at the The spectacular set-up Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Lakmé’s Aparna Giridhar with Vogue’s Dilshad Arora Opium Eyewear
Most Beautiful Man of the Year Varun Dhawan
From the hottest products to the coolest launches, here’s the low-down on the latest in the market this season
REEL
WELCOME ADDITION Mumbai’s plush interior hub, Raghuvanshi Mills, saw the launch of BoConcept’s 3,200-square-foot store. Offering its wide range of Scandinavian furniture and accessories, the store will showcase their stunning pieces through various living spaces of a home such as the living room, bedroom, dining room and home office. These products blend function, ergonomics and design to cater to diverse tastes. (boconcept.in)
TRENDSETTER
Despite its large 40,000-square-foot space, New Delhi store IDUS manages to be warm and inviting. Keeping pace with evolving trends, the store is equipped with products that cater to a wide range of aesthetics. Pictured here is the ‘Calyx’ chair by Kenneth Cobonque, a beautiful fusion of art and design. The wide crown, made up of interwoven polyethylene strands over a tightened steel base, forms an elegant shape. The ‘Velvet’ table (pictured below right) casts a magical spell with its sophisticated and awe-inspiring appearance. (idus.in)
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scouts
A RT F O R A L L
Established in 2010, bestcollegeart.com is an online gallery which was set up with a view to nurture and support young and emerging talent in India. They recently opened a gallery in New Delhi’s Lado Sarai area, which showcases over 200 artworks. One of the featured works is Chiravit (pictured above), an archival ink print on heavy weight matte finish Epson canvas with vibrant colours, by Delhibased artist Sumit Mendiratta. The platform also comprises a team of advisors for telephonic consultation, provisions of site visits and advice regarding art investment, which makes the process of buying art a lot simpler and approachable. All profits from the website are donated to Charitybeds, an NGO that helps the underprivileged get quality medical care in New Delhi. (bestcollegeart.com)
T H E AV I A RY
New Delhi’s The Carpet Cellar is a specialist store featuring the country’s finest woven treasures. Its ‘Tree of Life’ series of carpets brings the beauty of nature indoors. The feeling of comfort and well-being one receives from being connected with nature is immeditely exuded from this stunning piece. The ‘Bamboo’ silk carpet (pictured) takes over nine months to create. The brand’s definitive collection of rugs, carpets, dhurries and kilims represents pieces from Iran, Turkey, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, parts of western China and India. (carpetcellar.com)
scouts
G R A B A S E AT
New Delhi’s Timothy Oulton, a British furniture company, is known for merging vintage, bold, modern and daring designs. The ‘Professor’ chair (above) is a classic design from the company which combines comfort, luxury and ruggedness. Available in a variety of leather swatches, colours and fabrics, the chair is the perfect choice for any entry hall or bedroom. (timothyoulton.com)
GET FLOORED
Since 1994, Mumbai-based Classic Marble Company has been sourcing exquisite marble stones from more than 40 countries. They recently introduced the Terrazzo collection (pictured) of engineered marble under its flagship brand, Kalingastone. One of the features in the collection is marbles wrapped in beautiful mosaic patterns. It is the ideal choice for interior and exterior applications as they are less porous, more flexible and durable than natural marble. (classicmarble.com)
BRING TO LIGHT
From table lamps to chandeliers, Masiero is known for its dazzling lighting fixtures. For the ‘Raqam’ piece (pictured above), designer Marc Sadler reinterpreted the traditional ceiling fixture by reducing the number of elements that one is accustomed to. The product comes in metal frame with a glass covering, LED lighting system and crystal pendants, and is available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. (masierogroup.com) 220|
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
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stockists
A CLASS MARBLE: New Delhi 09958791101 (aclassmarble.co.in) ADDRESS HOME: India 08287263306 (addresshome.com) ALANKARAM.IN: New Delhi 011-46463333 ANGEL VENTURES: Mumbai 022-22019414, Kimatrai Building, 77/79, MK Marg, Marine Lines ANNA SIMONA: Mumbai 022-28514430 (annasimona.com) ARTISERA.COM: India 07899882277 ARTIZE: Gurugram 01244746800 (artize.com) AUDEMARS PIGUET: Time Avenue, Mumbai 02226515757; Kapoor Watch, New Delhi 011-46536667 BARO: Mumbai 02240344888 (baro-india.com) 226|
BARTOK DESIGN: Japan 0081-90-82051200 (bartokdesign.com) BESTCOLLEGEART.COM: India 09650644466 BHARAT FLOORINGS AND TILES: Mumbai 022-40574423 (bharatfloorings.com) BITOSSI: (bitossiceramiche.it); at LIBERTY LONDON: London 0044-20-77341234 (libertylondon.com) BLUE LOFT: Mumbai 08861177182 (blueloft.com) BOLIA.COM BREGUET: Johnson Watch Co, New Delhi 011-41513121; Ethos Summit, Bengaluru 080-41130611; Horology, Chennai 044-28464096; Exclusive Lines, Kolkata 03322820626 C BHOGILAL WEST-END: Mumbai 022-61523100 (cbwestend.com) CASEGOODS: Mumbai 022-49714653 (casedesign.in); at LE MILL: Mumbai 022 22041925 (lemillindia.com) CERA: (cera-india.com) CHANEL: New Delhi 01141116840; Paris 0033-0820002005 CHOPARD: England 004420-74093140; Mumbai 022-
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST|JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018
22884757; New Delhi 01146662834 CLOVE: Mumbai 022-22021470 (clovethestore.com) CRAFTED BY CRAFTRED: Mumbai 022-24391600 (redarchitects.in) CUROCARTE.COM: India 1800-210-0006 CYAHI.COM DAYDREAM: Mumbai 09833234246 (daydream.co.in) DELTA FAUCETS: (deltafaucet.co.in) DESIGN TEMPLE: Mumbai 022-22821001 (designtemple.com) DESIGNER STUDIO COLLECTIBLES: Mumbai 022-23512917 (collectibles. designerstudio.co.in) DIOR: Bengaluru 09945910302; Mumbai 022-67499091; New Delhi 011-46005900 (dior.com) DURAVIT: (duravit.in) ELVY.COM: Gurugram 0124-4578888 FILTER: Mumbai 02222887070 (filtershop.in) FIREFLY: Mumbai 02266608959 (fireflyindia.in) FRANGIPANI: Mumbai
09811182782 (frangipanifurniture.com) FREEDOMTREE.IN: Mumbai 022-24914433 GRAFF: (graff-faucets.com) GROHE: (grohe.co.in) GULMOHARLANE.COM: Jaipur 08824040096 HÄFELE: India 1800-266-6667 (hafeleindia.com) HANDIKART.CO.IN: India 1800-121-1251 HANSGROHE: (hansgrohe.in) HERMÈS: Mumbai 02222717400; New Delhi 01143607780 (hermes.com) IKEA.COM IKKADUKKA.COM: India 09958939217 IMPERIALKNOTS.COM: India 09555326200 (imperialknots.com) INTERSEKT: New Delhi 09818193161, D-82 Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1 IQRUPANDRITZ.COM: Gurugram 09599110672 JAIPUR RUGS: Jaipur 1413987400 (jaipurrugsco.com) JO MALONE: Mumbai 02262375537 (jomalone.in) JUNAILI: India 09971139122 (junaili.in)
PHOTO: SIMON WATSON
The merchandise featured in the magazine has been sourced from the following stores. Some shops may carry a selection only. Prices and availability were checked at the time of going to press, but we cannot guarantee that prices will not change or that specific items will be in stock when the magazine is published.
KEHA CASA: Bengaluru 080-48536043 (kehacasa.com) KOHLER: (kohler.co.in) KOY: India 09890800029 (koy.store) KULTURESHOP.IN: Mumbai 022-26550982
PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI
L’OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE BULY: (buly1803.com) LACASA: India 1800-2007577 (hindwarehomes.com) LA FRENCH STUDIO: Mumbai 07045947761 (lafrenchstudio.com) LE MONDE BERYL X MOLA SASA: (lemondeberyl.com) LEAHSINGH.COM LETSFURNITURE.COM: Pune 020-26150099 MADEWITHSPIN.COM: India 08527721115 MAHENDRA DOSHI: Mumbai 022-23630526 (mahendradoshi.com) MARAM: Bengaluru 09844019328 (maramindia.com) MINIM: India 09886858055 (minimdesign.com) MISHCAT CO: New Delhi 09810083554 (mishcatco.com) MUJI: Bengaluru 080-42565926; Mumbai 022-24981911; New Delhi 011-40566955 (muji.com)
NATTY.IN: Bengaluru 080-65655526 NICOBAR: Mumbai 08588000151 (nicobar.com) NILAYA: Kolkata 09861568321; Mumbai 022-26431074; New Delhi 011-41501676 (asianpaints.com/nilaya) NITCO: India 1800-266-4826 (nitcotiles.in) NO-MAD.IN: India 09820361687 NOTANOTHERBILL.COM: London 0044-02037907790 NSQUARESTUDIO.COM: India 09989997775 OBJECTRY.COM: India 09899369219 PARCOS: Bengaluru 080-22682118; Chennai 044-43582897; Mumbai 022-23643685; New Delhi 011-25674578 PEACOCK LIFE: Mumbai 022-26323331 (peacocklife.com) PHILLIPS ANTIQUES: Mumbai 022-22020564 (phillipsantiques.com) POLTRONA FRAU GROUP DESIGN CENTER: Mumbai 022-22614848 (poltronafrau.com) QUEO: Gurugram
0124-4779493 (queobathrooms.co.uk)
STERNHAGEN: (sternhagen.com)
RECLAIMED STORIES: India 09922442842 ROCA: (roca.in) ROLEX: DiA, Mumbai 02222042299; Kapoor Watch, New Delhi 011-46536667; The Helvetica, Chennai 04428490013; Luxury Time, Ahmedabad 079-26469797; Meena Jewellers, Hyderabad 040-44767758
TAHERALLY’S: Mumbai 022-23468153 (taherallys.in) TARQ: Mumbai 022-66150424 (tarq.in) TASCHEN: (taschen.com) THE CARPET CELLAR: New Delhi 011-41641777 (carpetcellar.com) THE PURE CONCEPT: Mumbai 022-61559898 (thepureconcept.co.in) THELOHASMITH.COM: India 09971298698 THEHOUSEOFTHINGS. COM: India 08003011110 TIFFANY & CO: (tiffany.com) TIIPOI.IN TIMOTHY OULTON GALLERY: New Delhi 09990784848 (timothyoulton.com)
SAFOMASI.COM: New Delhi 011-41600863 SAIF FAISAL: India 07829820809 (saif-faisal.com) SANTONI: (santonishoes.com) SARITA HANDA: Mumbai 022-40052686; New Delhi 09555733344 (saritahanda.com) SELFRIDGES.COM: London 0044-11-33698040 SETH ROLLAND: USA 001-360-3790414 (sethrolland.com) SICIS: New Delhi 011-46114811 (sicis.com) SOLLI CONCEPTS: India 09870473073 (solliconcepts.com) SOMANY CERAMICS: New Delhi 011-28345049 (somanyceramics.com)
URBANLADDER.COM: Bengaluru 080-46666777 USHA: India 1800-103-3111 (usha.com) VILAASITA.COM: India 09833917255 VitrA: India 07506700391 (vitra-india.com) WANT LES ESSENTIELS: (wantlesessentiels.com)
THE FIRST EDITION OF THE
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VOTED FOR BY 100 TASTEMAKERS RUPALI DEAN SAHIL KHAN SALIM PUSHPANATH SAMRATH BEDI SANAYA GHANDY SANJAY MANAKTALA
SANJIV SHANMUGAM SCHIRAAZ TANKSALWALLA SEPHI BERGERSON SHALINI NOPANY SHAUN KENWORTHY SHEETAL MUNSHAW SHILARNA VAZE SHOBA NARAYAN SHONALI MUTHALALY SHUCHIR SURI SHVETHA JAISHANKAR SOURISH BHATTACHARYYA SUCHITA SALWAN SUHANI PITTIE
SUMANA MUKHERJEE
TANIA FADTE TARANG ARORA TIKKA SHATRUJIT SINGH TISHANI DOSHI VANDANA VERMA VIDYA GAJAPATHI RAJU SINGH VIVEK MENEZES WENDELL RODRICKS
Bespoke Partner
Be Discerning. Be Responsible.
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ABHISHEK SOMANY
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The managing director of Somany Ceramics, Abhishek Somany is a man of many interests—among them automobiles and motorsports, adventure travel, modern and contemporary art, and more. He shares his top 10 list of objects, places and experiences
1. FAVOURITE SONG Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. 2. NEXT HOLIDAY DESTINATION The Andaman and Nicobar Islands for diving. 3. SPICE NOTE Homemade green-chilli pickle. 4. FAVOURITE AUTOMOBILE Porsche—I love all of their models. 5. TECH MARVEL My noise-cancelling earphones from Bose. 6. WELL-DESIGNED RESTAURANT I frequently visit The Spice Route at The Imperial, New Delhi. 7. IDEAL GIFT FOR A HEALTH FREAK A Fitbit ‘Charge 2’. 8. BUCKET LIST At the top of my bucket list is driving an F1 car. 9. TRAVEL NECESSITY A battery pack. 10. COLLECTIBLE My favourite is the Bentley Blower from my Dinky car collection. I have been collecting die-cast and handmade scale models since the early 1980s.
—SHREYA BASU 8
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PHOTOS: 2. JAN TRAID/UNSPLASH. 3. PHOTO BY CALUM LEWIS. 4. ERIC SAUNDERS/ UNSPLASH. 5. BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 20. 6. THE SPICE ROUTE, NEW DELHI. 8. CHUTTERSNAP/ UNSPLASH. SANTERI VIINAMÄKI/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
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