JULY 2015
Vol.3 Issue 04
Being Published Since 2005
`150/-
MGS Architecture Modern Green Structures &
People Watch Project Watch Product Watch Brand Watch Newstrack Coming Events An NBM Media Group Publication
Facades Colour Trends Bathroom Solutions Smart Building Technologies
96 Iconic Tower Colombo
www.mgsarchitecture.in
Ar. Reza Kabul ARK “Never give up attitude, patience, always ready to grab an opportunity, and keeping at par with the technology are the recipes for success.”
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ne of the foremost talents in the realm of Indian architecture, Reza Kabul’s foray into the industry was a random experience of viewing books on architecture that proved catalyst enough for a switch from engineering to architecture. After graduating in Architecture from M.S. University, Vadodara (1985), Ar. Reza started his career with a brief stint at Hafeez Contractor’s architecture studio in Mumbai. Later, in 1988, he set up his own architectural firm called ‘Reza Kabul Architects Pvt. Ltd., India (ARK)’ which today has become a comprehensive design
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People Watch studio with three decades of proven expertise in project design and delivery ranging from master plans and townships, to industrial, hospitality, commercial, institutional, educational, and residential segments. The firm has also grown to an international practice with offices in Mumbai and Pune, and its American counterpart ARK Studio West in San Francisco, USA, and has a number of highly-acclaimed projects to its credit. Ar. Reza has envisioned and successfully executed a string of path breaking projects centered on the design philosophy of ‘liberating spaces’. He has handled projects for leading names in the Indian real estate industry, and continues to enjoy the trust and appreciation with projects that set pioneering benchmarks in architectural design. Though he loves to work on projects of major segments and scales of design, but hotels and towers are his passion. Started with designing mere a bathroom and bedroom, today Ar. Reza is the eminent personality in the world of architecture and has designed many famous buildings in India and abroad. His signature projects are spread globally in United States, India, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Bhutan, Korea, and Nairobi. He believes that “Never give up attitude, patience, always ready to grab an opportunity, and keeping at par with the technology are the recipes for success.” He is also of the view that one should
MGS - Modern Green Structures & Architecture July 2015
always be ready to open the door as opportunity can knock at it anytime. Being always ready to explore new concepts and technology to give ‘Best’ to his clients, he believes that accurate and sensible use of advanced products and technologies not only help in the creation of iconic marvels but also the sustainable ones. Moreover, it led the faster execution of the project that resulted in timely delivery thereby giving to customers’ satisfaction. His constant endeavors to develop innovative approaches to design fuel ARK’s drive to deliver exemplary projects. He has won several awards and accolades for his out-of-the-box concepts and designs such as the Best Residential High Rise Development – India at the Asia Pacific 2015 for Transcon Triumph Johnson Society Interiors Honours 2015 - Creative Excellence DNA Realty GEN NEXT - Award of Excellence 2012, The Indian Institute of Architects - Citation of Emerging Master 2011, News Makers Achievers - Best Architect 2010, Limca Book of Awards (2003) for Shreepati Arcade and many more. A speaker for ‘Marcus Evans Tall Buildings Conference’ in Seoul, Korea (2008) and a pioneer in tall buildings, Ar. Reza is also the member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA), Associate, Indian Institute of Architects (AIIA), Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) and Council of Architecture (COA).
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Project Watch
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Project Watch
96 Iconic Tower, Colombo Project at a Glance Type: Mixed Use Height: 342 meters Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka Scope: Architecture + Interiors + Master Planning
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esigned by ARK, 96 Iconic Tower is an engineering marvel, dedicated to the Sri Lankan Victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Located at Colombo, the building facade is designed with a ball balanced between four bats to commemorate the achievements of the Sri Lankan cricketers with signature residential along with Indoor Cricket Facility, Hall of Fame, Museum, observatory and Specialty Revolving Restaurant. The mixed-use project is an amalgamation of residential units with retail outlets and public space. The project will be constructed in a joint venture between Wills Realtors (Private) Limited and the Shreepati’s Edifice (Private) Limited, and is slated to be completed by 2019.
Structural Design As the name suggests, the tower is 96 storeyed, with varied spaces such as the Basement Level--a covered parking lot which houses the lift lobby for commercial floors, theatre and the restaurant. The Lower Ground Level is also a covered parking lot with a vehicular drop off point on the South side of the tower, and the ticket counter for the 360° Observatory (Level 92) and Sri Lankan Cricket Legends Museum (Level 93). MGS - Modern Green Structures & Architecture July 2015
Retail outlets spread over an area of 4483 sq. m on the Ground Level, along with an entrance lobby on the East side for the restaurant, theatre, and escalators going down to the 360° Observatory Ticket Counter. On the North side of the plot, a ramp and a stairway lead to a 4.5m level that acts as a separate entry for the residents. The lobby consists of 4 elevators for the residents and 2 elevators for domestic help, leading to the residential lobby (Level 6). A 10m wide vehicular ramp leads the residents to the parking levels (Level 6 to Level 12). Level 1 to Level 3 consists of retail outlets that spread over an area of 3783 sq. m. 6 elevators cater to the retail and theatre levels. 18 escalators provide smooth circulation in the retail area. Level 3 hosts the 360° Observatory exit. A 6 screen multiplex with a seating capacity of 1420 people is spread across Level 4. Separate elevators are provided for the night show exit. Level 5 is allocated commercial spaces for office use with four offices of 770 sq. m each. Level 6 is a covered parking for the residents with vehicular drop off point and the residential lobby. The level hosts 9 elevators for residents and their guests, and 3 elevators in the service core for domestic helpers.
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Residents parking is located between Level 7 to Level 12. Level 13, 20, 35, 50, 65, 78, 91 are designed as service floor with meter rooms, break-pressure tanks, and pumps. The entertainment deck with an up-to-date library, indoor games, swimming pool, business center, jogging track, toddler’s area, and outdoor play area, are situated on Level 14. Level 15 to Level 49 host 8 residential apartments per floor of either 3 BHK or 4 BHK. Level 51 to Level 64 host 8 residential apartments per floor of 4BHK. The entertainment deck with lounge and coffee shop, gymnasium, spa, outdoors yoga and a sky deck is situated on Level 66. Level 67 to Level 90 host 4 residential penthouse apartments of 4
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BHK. The 360° Observatory, open to nonresidents, is located on Level 92. Level 93 hosts the Sri Lankan Cricket Legends Museum. Level 94 and Level 95 hosts, a revolving restaurant offering a panoramic view of the city of Colombo. An Indoor Cricket Training Academy is located on Level 96. Despite the various uses and users stacked vertically, each has been provided individual and independent functioning.
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Project Watch Designated parking areas, different access elevators and lobbies, and independent services ensure minimal overall between the different users. The 96 Iconic Tower has a total of 34 elevators, including two doubledecker elevators for the observatory. The elevator speeds vary from 4m/s to 8 m/s.
Green Elements The architectural firm ARK believes that the infrastructure of a high-rise should enable it to be self-sufficient in terms of its basic energy requirements. The idea behind using alternate energy sources is to make the project self-sustainable. In fact, in case the structure is capable to generate additional units, the advantage can be passed on to the smaller establishments in the vicinity or to the grid itself. Wind turbines have been incorporated and the glass dome that houses the indoor cricket academy has photovoltaic cells which also generate electricity. The multi-storey parking façade and natural atmospheric pressure are to be used to lower the temperature of the water for the air-conditioning plant instead of using large fans. Backed by the Sri Lankan government, 96 Iconic Tower designed by ARK promises to be a landmark structure standing tall in Colombo’s skyline.
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Project Watch
Bharat Diamond Bourse Mumbai
Location: Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai Type: Institutional Scope: Architecture + Master Planning
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Project Watch
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he Bharat Diamond Bourse project had started in the 1980s and had changed many hands before it finally progressed to Architect Reza Kabul in the early 2000s. Located in the suburban commercial hub of Bandra – Kurla Complex, Bharat Diamond Bourse had a distinguished architectural character and is one of the largest commercial complexes in India. Every structure built and proposed in Bandra – Kurla Complex has a unique personality of its own: the buildings stand out and yet gel with the overall scheme which is modem and fresh unlike any other place in India. The challenge at ARK was to give a fresh look to the Bharat Diamond Bourse structure designed in a different outlook. The project needed to be revamped considering the revised utility requirements, which involved detailed site analysis of the existing structure and studying the previous drawings. As it was
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not possible to make major structural changes, it was decided to adopt less radical approaches based on transforming existing components and working within the parameters of conventional yet modern methods of transforming the buildings. The concept was to project a modern structure breaking the monotony of the façade and lightening the building both in physical weight as well as in visual presence. The highlighting feature of the otherwise flat institutional structure is the thick blue band on the exterior ACP façade. Keeping in mind that the workers require as much maximum light as possible while sorting or cutting diamonds, the buildings’ design includes wide windows. The total window area is 300,000 sq ft with special nonreflective glass windows. Spread over 20 acres, the Bharat Diamond Bourse consists of a total of 8 towers, each scaling 9 storey tall. The total constructed area is 2,000,000 sqft, with
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an addition of 1,000,000 sqft basement area with a car park for roughly 1800 cars. While the existing towers were handled individually and also as a master layout, each component in the towers was studied in detail before applying any proposed changes. The existing towers had lots of offsets in the faรงade in terms of cut outs at various levels as per the old scheme. Major structural works were required to fill these gaps and make the elevation simple. The new tower was also designed on the same lines but simpler in form.
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Project Watch Bharat Diamond Bourse is home to about 2,500 small and large diamond traders in addition to the custom house, banks and other service providers who cater to the gems and jewelry trade. BDB handles over 60% of diamond exports from India, with an inflow of approximately 20,000 – 30,000 people daily. Traffic movement of the entire complex was designed accounting for a daily traffic of 50,000 individuals and considering the existing entry exists in the basements, security issues, class and variety of people entering and exiting the complex at venous hours. “There were many limitations and parameters amidst a brief that was not always final, but I think we did a great job,” says ARK. Work finally finished in 2011, and today Bharat Diamond Bourse is resplendent for its clear glass façade.
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