Studio Lotus - The Book by Siddharth Dasari

studiolotus The Next 10

ÂŠ 2013 by

studiolotus

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been produced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with the information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occured and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

first published in the republic of india by StudioLotus F-301, First Floor, Chaudhuri Prem Singh House, Lado Sarai, New Delhi 110030

telefax +91 11 4057 0808 email info@lotuslink.in web www.lotuslink.in isbn 81-8078-456-X book code BA-301 price Rs.3500

All artwork and images contained herein are the property of StudioLotus, and the respective artists/designers. Reproduction in any media (including books, magazines, or any graphic resource) is strictly prohibited.

printed in the republic of india

To all the people who have been a part of our journey so far

Public Space

Retail

Food & Beverage

Retail

Institutional

Food & Beverage

Workspace

Retail

Boutique for a high end women's fashion label

Ashim a L e e n a

Art Gallery + Corporate office for a business house

S irpur H ous e

Award winning Al Fresco restaurant for Marut Sikka

Magique

Building design for Salaam Baalak Trust

AA R U S H I

Flagship stores for an Indian luxury lifestyle brand

G O O D EA R T H

A multi designer women's prĂŞt wear boutique

C h a momi l e

Design and execution of concept boutiques for Swiss made luxury brand of watches from TATA

X Y LY S

Boutique for premium collection of Levi's in India

Levi's Rivet

Brand Development and restaurants for a chain of award winning Indian street food restaurants

K H AA J A C H O W K / C H O W K

Retail space for heritage products in a 15th century fort

M E H R A N GA R H M U S E U M S H O P

High end retail environment specialising in an International range of lifestyle products

V I YA

Crafts and Heritage Festival for INTACH & Govt. of Punjab

Pa t i a l a C r a f t s M e l a

what's inside

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138

148

158

166

180

188

198

208

210

Retail

Hospitality

Food & Beverage

Residential

Food & Beverage

Workspace

Food & Beverage

Public Space

Retail

Residential

Hospitality

Public Space

Renovation of an International artist's village

KhŌj

Interior Design + Landscape for a 150 room boutique hotel for the PARK group in Kochi, Kerala

T H E PA R K

Building + Interiors for a hill house

C O O N O O R H ous e

Boutique for a premium collection of a high end Indian fashion label

G a ur av Gup t a

Competition winning entry for a police memorial at Shantipath

N a t ion a l P o l ic e M e mori a l

Microbrewery, Lounge and Bistro

LE M P

Corporate office for a business house

MKM OFFICE

Restaurants for Ritu Dalmia

D i va / C a f É D i va

Building & Interiors for a multi-dwelling unit

K ukr e j a hous e

Nouvelle Indian cuisine Restaurant Bar and Lounge

K e ya K a inoosh

Planning – Conservation - Architecture – Interior Design of a 40 room Boutique Hotel in Jodhpur

R a a s J odhpur

Boutique for a premium collection of a high end Indian fashion label

R a j e sh P r a t a p S in g h

Boutique for a premium collection of a high end Indian fashion label

R ohi t B a l

the story

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that globalization is an opportunity for sharing. It offers stakeholders the opportunity to address global concerns through the diverse expression of localized responses. This is what drives our work.â&#x20AC;? setup in 2002 by

Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi and Sidhartha Talwar, Lotus is a multidisciplinary design practice whose work seamlessly weaves interior and exterior spaces, from large architectural ideas to the smallest of furniture details. The 40 member team at Lotus is from diverse disciplines of Architecture, Interior Design, Exhibition Design, Furniture design & Graphic Design. The firm takes a deeply contextual approach to its work and combines this with a strong focus on the tactile and sensory qualities of the space. The design process looks at sustainability through the multiple lenses of cultural,

social and environmental impact. There is an active engagement in integrating localized skills and resources with state of the art materials and technologies.

“We deal with every design problem at a fundamental level. We don’t believe in getting into a style. We start with trying to define the forces at play and then create the geometry that resolves it. We like taking design to an extreme at the conceptual stage. We find inspiration in ordinary things, everyday events and chance encounters. We believe that a sustainable experience is seldom about a first “wow” and hence don’t believe in a single “big idea” approach. We explore ways to engage the customer, the way they move through the space and interact with it.

We like the fact that designing a space offers the opportunity to build in layers, which unfold differently for different people.”

The principals: L-R Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar and Arun Kullu

PATIALA CRAFTS MELA

The brief was to create a cost effective structure out of recyclable materials which could be reused for the ‘mela’ every year, and to take advantage of the pleasant weather of the time of the year when it is hosted, February.

government of Punjab approached Lotus to design the Patiala Crafts Mela. Punjab being a place with a legacy of vibrancy and a contagious enthusiasm, ‘melas’ or fairs constituted an integral part of its tradition. So, the primary concern of the team at Lotus was to capture that typical Punjabi fervour. The task for the team was to mould an area spread over 65,350 square feet in Patiala (Punjab) into a venue as desired by the clients. It was accomplished by allowing the venue to evolve into a series of modules. Square and bright and multicoloured tents hosted specific activities; and certain areas were circularly zoned off with flowing

Public Space

intach and the

strips of fabric covering the top of the structure. The fort of Sheesh Mahal, complete with a water body of 2 acres, was used as the primary focus of the set. The entry is framed with a colourful arcade of layered fabric. The walkways are framed by poles connected at the top by lines of colourful fabric whose flapping in the wind provided chequered shadows below. The entire arena eventually stood transformed into a canvas of warm colours that heightened the essence of Punjab and the spirit of the traditional ‘melas’. View of the colourful arrangement of fabric flapping through the wind

C l i e n t INTACH & Govt. of Punjab y e a r 2003 - 2006 Ar e a 6000 sq.m. Loc a t ion Patiala, Punjab T e a M Ambrish Arora, Sidhartha Talwar, Ankur Choksi, Mohammed Pasha, Kailash Chandra

Kailash Chandra ARCH. ASSISTANT

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a project that involved play with fabrics and temporary structures and evolving forms out of it. A very colorful project with the use of motifs and paintings. Since the layout remained the same for 3 years, all we could do was put gates and change the style of bunting. The main challenge we faced was the time constraint. We had 10 days for a 2 acre site, working day and night. Since the design and execution team was good, the project wrapped up smoothlyâ&#x20AC;?

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5 9

1. Main entrance 2. Orientation center 3. Entertainment area 4. Performance area 5. Workshop area 6. Promenade 7. Gateway 8. Sheesh Mahal 9. Food court

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Ambrish Arora

10 M

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patiala Crafts Mela was our savior project as it prevented Lotus from shutting down, when we had no work to do on our table.â&#x20AC;?

A colourful arcade of layered fabric framed the entry

Local women working on site

The walkways were framed by poles connected at the top by lines of colourful fabric whose flapping in the wind provided chequered shadows on the ground

The bunting, which framed the pathways, lit up against the night sky by hung lanterns

The entire arena, eventually, stood transformed into a canvas of warm colours that heightened the essence of Punjab and the spirit of the traditional â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;melasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Colourful fabric strips were brought together to emanate from a conjunction to create an interesting interplay of hues

Certain areas were circularly zoned off with flowing strips of fabric covering the top

F BAR spatial transformation of a fine dining restaurant into a high energy bar was the prerequisite in the creation of a fashion bar. Two projectors were used for four suspended retractable multiple sheer gauze screens to liven up the double height space with computer graphics and videos as the DJ pumps up the night.

Food and Beverage

C l i e n t Jay Singh y e a r 2003 Ar e a 450 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar Pasha, Kailash Chandra

FIREFOX BICYCLES a huge wooden drainpipe, curving through a cut-out into the first floor, serves as a thematic display for the BMX bikes against the raw energy of stripped brick walls.

Retail

C l i e n t Firefox Bicycles y e a r 2004 Ar e a 200 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Pragya

Mehrangarh Shop

Retail

The project was to renovate and reinterpret a space inside Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur that functioned as a shop selling heritage products and memorabilia from the region.

the obvious design response was to make the shop reflect Jodhpuri essence in its truest form. Under several coats of lime wash on the walls and on the colonnade of arches, exquisite stone texture and carvings were discovered during the research, and also, a centuries-old layer of stone flooring beneath the concrete. The primary display area was divided by a wall which was removed to reveal the magical rhythm of the colonnade of arches that tie the space together. The budget being low and Jodhpur being famous for its metal and stone work, local artisans were availed. Led by a conservation architect, all design decisions were taken keeping in mind

that not a single hole be drilled in the walls or the ceiling since it would damage the old structure. Special pressure clamps were developed for Post card & book display. All lamps were energy saving fixtures which were mounted on expanding pressure rods with rubber mounting on either side that stayed in place using pressure. A combination of accent lighting was used to wash over and accentuate the products as well as the architecture.

Magical rhythm of the colonnade of stone arches frames the display zone

Anupa Mathew desi gNER

Arun Kullu desi gn principal

“I remember trying to catch the train at the last minute to Mehrangarh with the drawings because we were sitting and working on the drawings till the last minute; and going with sample pieces: the strange metal bars that were used. The pressure clamps that were used for the museum were the key element of the project. The metal bars could be extended, could be fixed onto the wall and not harm the walls by making holes or punctures. It was amazing how it was worked out. It was awesome. The clients were lovely and the project came out really well.”

“The limitation for this project was in the form of not touching the walls. Pressure clamps had to be used to fix all the things.” C l i e n t Mehrangarh Museum Trust y e a r 2004 Ar e a 300 sq.m. Loc a t ion Jodhpur, Rajasthan T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Arun Kullu, Anupa Mathew, Kailash Chandra

Kailash Chandra Arch. assistant

“I learnt how to make drawings through this project. Once I went to the site to explain the electrical drawings. The project leader (engineer at Mehrangarh Fort), was quite impressed since I began to talk about the electrical aspect of the project and had divulged into the civil, detailing, woodwork aspect of the project (the engineer was told was that a guy from the Electrical Department was coming down from Delhi). Puneet Gupta (who was one of the first employees at Lotus) taught me the basic drawings skill and charged a sum of Rs.5000 (My salary was Rs.7000 at that time). But this bond gained me extra work through Puneet though a large chunk of my money was spent on him.”

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7 4 8

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1. Store 2. Pantry 3. Painting section 4. Book section 5. Lunch area 6. Accounts 7. Shaft 8. Stationary 9. Manager 10. Cashier 11. Courtyard 12. Exit 13. Entry 14. Verandah

Local artisans adept at metal and stone work, were employed for the renovation of the space

A typical Jodhpuri door is fixed at the entry to heighten the essence of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich culture

The jewellery section is carefully nestled in and framed by an arch with a combination of accent lighting

Books and Painting adorn the stone columns and walls on special pressure clamps

KHAAJA CHOWK

The brief was to create a space where casual fine dining and the spirits of the streets intermingled and co existed in terms of a creative spatial harmony.

to be created into a modern ‘dhaaba’ with Indian Elements, having an international fine dining touch in the service department and in restaurant zoning. Collaboration of the eminent photographer Shahid Ahmed proved valuable. The entire restaurant is tied together at the eye level with a continuous detailed strip of mirror with decorative street motifs. A fuchsia three wheeler, universal in its presence as a street icon, serves as the mascot and as a seating area for the guests. Calendar art, simulated postcards of film stars, educational charts, matchbox images and accessories like ‘surma dibbis’ from the streets have been tweaked to be imprinted

Food & Beverage

the space was

upon and encased within the tables. The Chowk was conceptualized as an extension to the brand with the initial concept of the restaurant accommodating a bar, which has the iconic auto rickshaw framed in a specially commissioned ‘pichhwai’ along with 100 chrome plated toy rickshaws mounted on the wall, forming its backdrop. It was a restaurant that was conceptualized on a tighter budget with the utilisation of plywood (seating and digitally printed partition panels) and recycled materials but stands, ironically¸ as a high end expensive version comparably.

The three wheeler is modelled into a dining space and occupies the front of the restaurant and is, here, set against a backdrop of a wall adorned with film posters and street elements

Kailash Chandra Arch. assistant

Arun Kullu desi gn principal

C l i e n t Vikram Nair y e a r 2005 Ar e a 190 sq.m. Loc a t ion MGF Metropolitan, Gurgaon T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Arun Kullu, Kailash Chandra

“A lot of utensils, a variety of local soap, matchboxes, bindis, and other items were strewn everywhere in the office. Kullu was a designer cum contractor (wood) during this time (he had his own in-house factory as well) and worked with his wife under the name of Suman Kullu (I had a misconception that they were one person). Suman Kullu has worked with the team during the F Bar project also. They handled the furniture. I wasn’t that involved with the furniture aspect of it since it was a job done between Ambrish and Suman Kullu. Siddharth ji and Pasha would get into arguments. I used to mainly assist at the site. The contractor was very passionate, who would take me and other people on a site visit at 2AM in the morning to tell us what he would be making that day. Pasha and me would go in a red Omni van of the contractor.”

“I got married during this project, so Suman and I decided to not work together anymore. She started Tota Designs while I joined Lotus Design and came on board as an associate.”

P R O J E C T Khaaja Chowk C l i e n t Sasha Foods Pvt. Ltd., Vikram Nair y e a r 2004, 2006 Ar e a 200 sq.m. Loc a t ion Gurgaon + Various Locations T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu, Mohammed Pasha, Suman Sharma, Shahid Datawala, Kailash Chandra

4 5

7 8

1. Service entrance 2. Cash 3. Bar 4. Kitchen 5. Service station 6. Service corridor 7. Entrance 8. Front corridor 9. Seating on platform 10. Seating

1. Platform seating 2. Seating 3. Entry 4. Service station 5. Terrace seating 6. Cash counter 7. Hand wash 8. Kitchen 9. Kitchen entry

8 6

1M THE CHOWK

9 KHAAJA CHOWK at Plaza Mall

The three wheeler set against a backdrop of imageries of an active streetscape play a vital part in the creation of a unique dining space which houses varied seating arrangements inspired from the automobile

Compact fluorescent lights and exposed GLS bulbs set on dimmers were employed for the lighting

Strings of plastic flowers hang down upon the fuchsia dining zones which are framed by imprinted glass panels at eye level

Mirrors imprinted with Indian street motifs provide the diners framed views of the decorative space around

The kitchen is tucked into the mezzanine with its wall showcasing a life size streetscape of a typical Delhi, printed on plywood, with a clear glass window looking at a copper clad cubicle, enabling the onlooker a live view of the tandoor cooking Various street graphics generated

/ / t h e f i r s t p r o j ect

The first project that Vikram collaborated with Lotus was Khaaja Chowk in Gurgaon which was opened in January 2004 and was given national coverage. After the first one, they went on to do 12 Khaaja Chowks together and each of the experiences was a great one, especially the first one which was really fun, according to him. The first one has nice memories of Vikram going to Sadar Bazaar with Ambrish to pick up things for the restaurant. Everything was done from the scratch; they did the samples and the prototypes. / / Hi s v i s i o n b e f o r e m eetin g A m b r i s h a n d it s e v o l u ti o n

/ / t h e s t y le o f Lo t u s w h en y o u w a l k int o a Lo t u s p r o j ect

Vikram says that the end result that stood before was completely different from what he had envisioned. He was completely in awe and gives all the credit to Lotus for creating what they had created. When asked from where the idea came, Vikram is prompt to say “The idea clearly belongs to Lotus and my contribution to the project was just to say yes to everything that they planned.”

“The little twist that Lotus tries to bring out in every project that it does; a lot of attention to detail (a Lotus phenomenon). The twist is the main thing; for example, the F Bar and Lounge in Lado Sarai was absolutely stunning. Rahul Singh, who runs The Beer Cafe in Gurgaon, said that when he visited Khaaja Chowk and Zura, he knew instantly that these were works of Lotus; quite a compliment.”

/ / h i g h s a n d lo w s w h ile w o r k in g w it h lo t u s

“Plaza mall one, the first Khaaja Chowk, continues to do well. The Chowk continues to do very well. They tied up with Ginger Hotels; all of them are doing well. The Chowk that was opened at Bangalore is doing great. Apart from the business angle, the highs and lows can’t be particularly highlighted because Lotus is like family to me. The work culture at Lotus is very cool, laidback and fun. I have good strong relationships with Ambrish, Ankur and Sidhartha, from the initial stage; so the working atmosphere was very easy.”

Vikram Nair

CLIENT, khaaja chowk and coonoor house

// the future

“The future of Lotus would be very bright, considering the kind of work Lotus is involved in and producing. Lotus has always grown at every stage; right from the first office at Anupam Apartment to Lado Sarai. Growing fast is a great thing but to control that growth and maintain the same kind of quality is a challenge and if Lotus can do it, then the skies are the limit and ‘growth’ stands as just another word.”

Recycled materials and plywood (seating and partition panels) dominated the material palette in the creation of The Chowk

Concealed lighting washes the walls while interesting box-shaped installations suspended from the ceiling emulate the essence of the brand

The yellow and green three wheeler (auto/tuk-tuk), a universal street icon, serves as the mascot of the Chowk line of restaurants

LEVI’S RIVET

Retail

The brief entailed the creation of a store that would not function as a store but one which would generate a certain level of exclusivity with a way of essaying the Levi’s story in India.

a yearlong design process and conceptualization resulted in the generation of several design explorations, justified by the trust displayed in Lotus by the Asia head of Levi’s: Sumant Chatterji. The construction materials such as iron, copper and denim, testify the influence of the products. These materials were worked into plywood and treated like an insert into the raw concrete shell. 18,000 copper strips hang from the ceiling on a wire mesh, concealing the HVAC and electrical conduits, allowing both product and lighting to be suspended from it at any point in the store. A 40 feet long History Wall depicting the 150 year long journey of the company greets you as you enter. The

store front is constructed of 8000 copper rods and 12000 buttons from the denim that slide in a giant perforated wall creating a three dimensional pattern. The idea was not to have a signage. The cash desk was created to provide an after-gallery experience, allowing customers to walk away with a Levi’s button as a souvenir. The flexibility of the space thus created proved vital in expanding the functionality of the store as it allowed band performances which added another dimension to the spatial drama of being a small club. Rivet paved the way for many of the collaborations that took place in future projects, primarily with Praxis Inc., and Codesign.

Copper rods ending in denim buttons provide a fascinating three dimensional pattern

C l i e n t Levi’s Strauss India y e a r 2005 Ar e a 100 sq.m. Loc a t ion Leela Palace Hotel, Bangalore T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Arun Kullu, Rajiv Majumdar, Vishal Bhalla, Rajesh Dahiya, Anirban Mandal

Arun Kullu design principal

“There was no actual space so we had to work with a hypothetical one. The brief gave the location of the space and that it would be rectangular, based on which the entire design process started. We presented 3 approaches to the client. The client picked up elements from the three different approaches and the entire space evolved gradually. Going wrong is not the hard part. The real challenge is to get it right and to get the right crowd to the store. Rivet’s design process involved a lot of sketches and less of drawings (compared to the other projects of Lotus).”

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1. History wall 2. Entry 3. Projection on the floor 4. Seating space 5. Facade made of movable copper pipes 6. Cash counter 7. Changing rooms 8. Storage wall

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CONCEPT A Juxtaposing Raw and Luxe Elements

CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES

CONCEPT B Juxtaposing Comfortable and Aspirational Elements

CONCEPT C Superimposing dynamic imagery to create virtual environment

The 40 feet long History Wall depicting the 150 year long journey of Levi’s

8000 copper rods and 12000 buttons from the denim that slide in a giant perforated wall form the facade of the Levi’s store that encourages the customer to dabble with the facade

Copper clad handcrafted “saddle” stands were scattered all over the space to be used as seating areas or as a hanger for tried products

Vintage clothing is suspended in glass cubes coated with a polarizing film that is completely transparent when looking at the product but seems to mist over when you walk away from it

18,000 copper strips, glass cased and hooked products, and the lighting suspended from the ceiling on a wire mesh concealing the HVAC and electrical conduits

SHIRO restaurant transformed into a night club by the employment of open walls that reveal the DJ, with seating modelled on tiered amphitheatre to create private zones and furniture that rolls away under the platforms to create space for dancing on club nights.

a fine dining

Food and Beverage

C l i e n t JSM Corporation y e a r 2005 Ar e a 650 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a M Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Pasha

CALYPSO to convert an existing urban village property consisting of 4 seperate houses into an integrated restaurant and bar. The theme : contemporary classic with Moroccan overtones. The challenges were in the form of integrating multiple levels, reinforcing the existing structure and creating a contemporary Moroccan feel.

the brief was

Food & Beverage

C l i e n t Village Bistro y e a r 2005 Ar e a 180 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

XYLYS

Retail

The challenge was to utilize the space of 4000 square feet which was capable of displaying 1200 watches but only displayed 60.

xylys was born to disassociate away from Titan’s mainstream brand imagery and was armed with its “Swissmade” tag which aided in positioning it as a Global Indian Brand in the premium watch segment. Lotus, in collaboration with Praxis Inc. of Bangalore, conceptualized the brief as “space framing time”, and wrapped up all the communication and display at eye level by pulling apart the solid lengths on either side of the store to create a frame. The range of watches appear to float in a vacuum of washed light in a PVB expanse that shows a gradation of Xylys’ signature deep purple color which eventually fades

out to a mirror finish. Customer interface was specifically designed to avoid the dissatisfaction and irritation faced by the customers in other stores. The cement finished walls and floors are done up in smoke gray and large horizontal slabs of white Corian counters dissect the store along different planes. An interactive installation ‘River of Time’, analogous to a touch-screen, relays information about the brand through short films, clips and animation. The space has been beautifully molded to essay the distinct identity and uniqueness of Xylys, delivering a cutting edge retail experience to each individual customer.

All the communication and display were wrapped up at eye level by pulling apart the solid lengths on either side of the linear store to create a frame

1. Entry 2. Interactive board 3. Display wall 4. Counter 5. Office/Store

5 3 C l i e n t Titan Industries Ltd. y e a r 2005/2006 Ar e a 40 sq.m. Loc a t ion Garuda Mall, Bangalore T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Arun Kullu, Rajiv Majumdar and Rajesh Dahiya

Arun Kullu design principal

“This was the second project that was done with Rajeev of Praxis Inc., (after Rivet). It was a very technology driven project. The furniture was inspired from Xylys’ logo. I remember this project as very straight-line and nicely resolved. The little details of the things that were meant to hold the products were designed.”

THE XYLYS EXPERIENCE : CUSTOMER WALKS IN

Salesman greets him and hands over a XYLYS ELECTRONIC CARD

THE WATCHES ARE INSTANTLY BROUGHT OUT TO THE CUSTOMER TO TRY AND DECIDE

The information is updated on the company servers where there is valuable information on the customer interest, trends and the success or failure of a particular model

CUSTOMER USES THE CARD TO SELECT WATCHES OF HIS CHOICE FROM THE DISPLAY

CUSTOMER HANDS OVER THE CARD BACK TO THE SALESMAN

The information is relayed in real time to the inventory keeper who then prepares and gathers the selected watches

The range of 60 watches appear to float in a vacuum of washed light in a PVB expanse that shows a gradation of Xylys’ signature deep purple colour which eventually fades out to a mirror finish

An interactive installation ‘River of Time’, analogous to a touch-screen, relays information about the brand through short films, clips and animation videos

The cement finished walls and floors are done up in smoke gray and large horizontal slabs of white Corian counters intersect the space along different planes

SILVERGLADES between sheets of glass made up a feature wall along the entrance. Glass was used extensively to essay a sense of transparency to give a graphical influence to the city skyline which was used as a primary screen in frosted treatment on glass.

construction materials stacked

Workspaces

C l i e n t Silverglades Holdings Pvt. Ltd. y e a r 2006 Ar e a 600 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

NAMRATA JOSHIPURA inserting a rectangle in a trapezoidal space created negative spaces which were moulded into different zones. The shell was stripped down to concrete and brick, and then painted white to have a white cement surface inserted to frame the merchandise.

C l i e n t Namrata Joshipura y e a r 2006 Ar e a 30 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

Retail

KFC INDIA fast food brand - making it aspirational for the Indian youth and creating a brand manual for all the KFC stores across the country.

indigenising an american

Food & Beverage

C l i e n t KFC India y e a r 2006-2008 Ar e a n/a Loc a t ion India T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

RUH earthy space was created for a brand that utilised Indian traditional materials in a contemporary fashion. Hand woven jute and metal screens in mild steel and stacked plywood were employed for layering the retail space.

a slick yet

Retail

C l i e n t Ruh y e a r 2006 Ar e a 50 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

GOOD EARTH

Retail

Good Earth handed the project of two of its stores, one in Khan Market and one in Select Citywalk, New Delhi, to Lotus. Though the challenges were different, the design dialogue was the same for both the stores.

for the one in Khan Market, the space that was handed over was a trapezoidal area of 1200 square feet strewn with randomly placed columns. At that time, the site was one of the most expensive retail spaces in Asia. “Meandering discoveries”, “layers of product categories” and “luxury in presentations”, were the ideas that guided the circulation and layout. Strong grid of plywood shelving was employed that rendered the experience of moving in a maze. The obvious inspiration was drawn from Lucknow’s famous ‘Bhool Bhulayia’. The principle materials that went into the construction were stained plywood, brick and

cement board. Since the mouldering structure required reinforcement, the interiors were stripped bare to brick and concrete. The irregularity of the space was moulded into an asset, with layers of floor to ceiling shelving being laid out in a stringent rectangular geometry. For the one at Citywalk, as one enters the space, one finds the concrete shell of the building has been left untouched, with subset of spaces, shelves, and modern interpretations of Mughal and Rajasthani ‘Jaalis’, introduced in the space around a courtyard like experience. Patterns on cement fibre boards spanning the entire length of floor to ceiling softened the views between spaces.

A strong grid of plywood shelving renders the experience of moving in a maze

Ambrish Arora

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The project started in July 2006 . A very fundoo British designer called Rasheed Deen was appointed as the designer for this project. When Rasheed was asked if local artists could be involved in this project, he agreed. Due to which, Lotus got associated with Good Earth, Citywalk. While working on the Citywalk store, the company Good Earth had acquired a space in Khan Market. Everything was put on hold on the Citywalk project. Richa Khapse developed the plans for Khan Market store (by 20th January 2007, in 7 days). Design happened very quickly. 25 days were taken for the girders, the reinforcement of the entire structure, and the stripping bare of the surfaces.â&#x20AC;?

GOOD EARTH KHAN MARKET 1. Barware 2. Dining 3. Toilet 4. Spa 5. Gift wrap 6. Cash 7. Entrance 8. Textiles 9. Accessories

5 4

C l i e n t GoodEarth Company y e a r 2008 Ar e a 110 sq.m. Loc a t ion Khan Market, Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

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Located in one of the most dynamic and expensive retail space of Asia: Khan Market, Delhi; the facade is charcoal grey with louvred wooden shutters and plum-stained plate glass windows

Raw nature of bricks and concrete provided the perfect contrasting backdrop for the finely finished Good Earth products

The irregularity of the space was moulded into an asset that instigated a lot of movement around the carefully placed shelving that followed a strict rectangular geometry

C l i e n t GoodEarth Company y e a r 2006 Ar e a 200 sq.m. Loc a t ion Select Citywalk, New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

GOOD EARTH SELECT CITYWALK 4th FLOOR 1. Service Desk 2. Lift 3. Floor managers 4. Staff dining 5. Pantry

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The concrete spatial arena with its shelving, tied together by the gold leaf exposed ceiling, creates a courtyard like experience

Patterned cement board screens spanning the entire length of floor to ceiling softens the views between the spaces

Embossed ornamentation on cement board against a wall washed in light

CARMA a heightened sense of space was created through illusion. Strategically placed bronze mirror walls with strung beaded half chandeliers against them create an illusion of completeness of having full chandeliers in a courtyard wrapped in contemporary â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jaaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or traditional Jharokhas of Indian palaces.

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C l i e n t Carma y e a r 2007 Ar e a 150 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

NIRULA'S POTPOURRI the colonial nature of Connaught place was accentuated and merged with the contemporary spirit of the city. Columns, cornices, semi circular arches, chequered flooring and a high dado presented a space juxtaposed with imagery of Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colonial past.

Food and Beverage

C l i e n t Nirulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner House y e a r 2007 Ar e a 200 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

SIRPUR HOUSE

Workspace

The brief stated the need for an art gallery, a number of cabins, meetings rooms, a sprawling open workspace, residing inside a flexible system.

sirpur house stands as the project where the client spoke to both the architect and the design team at Lotus simultaneously about the requirements for the project. The interiors of this space drew direct inspiration from the exterior facade of corten steel, brick and concrete that enveloped the building of the corporate headquarters of the paper mill, the Sirpur House. The previously constructed two separate wings of the building were now linked together with metal bridges. The internal construct was shaped as a neutral yet malleable canvas to the many functions and stunning art works it houses. The atrium that spills through the entire side of a wing

implies the influence of the “paper story” in its concept with paper rolls acting as the inspiration for the furniture that were crafted out of sandwiched plywood sheets to unfold as origami-like sculpted forms of sweeping planes of paper. The cafe, which opens out from the reception and into the court, houses a trellis which is replicated on the diagonal skeleton of the building. The Galleries have been configured in such a way so as to allow flexibility and adaptability in accordance with the changing shows. What came out was a splendid example of the effortless intermingling of the external and internal spaces of a structural system.

A screen, developing out the “paper story” (origami-like sculpted forms of sweeping planes of paper) cascades down from the ceiling

Arun Kullu desi gn principal

THIRD FLOOR 1. Cabin workstation 2. Discussion room 3. Lift shaft 4. Atrium 5. Toilets 6. Board room

C l i e n t Sirpur Paper Mills y e a r 2008 Ar e a 2000 sq.m. Loc a t ion Gurgaon T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

“Ambrish and I visited the factory at Sirpur Kagaz Nagar in Andhra Pradesh. At that time, we didn’t have any clue as to how the furniture would look like, but then we saw rolls of paper and Ambrish said that it would be nice to use this, somehow, in the design treatment. From rolls of paper, the idea got fixated on sheets of paper (Steel was made to come down like sheets of paper to make furniture). Eventually, the furniture came out to be more structured, following straight lines, and from sheets, the idea came down to plywood and then stacked plywood for the furniture. We made a piece and left it on the site for a year to check its durability since we had never tried this method of furniture making. At the end of the year, that piece still stood (it was misused as well). 19 mm ply was used to make the furniture after the testing came out positive.”

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Natural finish of the flooring was enhanced by vacuum dewatered floors while the space zoning followed a modular approach that integrated lighting and allowed a smooth flow of movement through the partitions

Chairs were crafted from stacked ply

Wall suspended seating of sandwiched plywood sheets inspired by the “paper story”

A circular table was made by cutting plywood sheets into a disc (a pie shape) and then joined together; It didn’t follow the conventional radial system. At the centre of the table, a small hole was left, indicating that the flexyply couldn’t be bent further.

The Galleries, lit up by spots and washers, allow flexibility and adaptability in accordance with the changing shows with the help of display panels that float on the skin of the gallery areas

ROHIT BAL

The brief given to the team at Lotus by Rohit Bal, a leading fashion designer in India, was clear in creating separate sections for the men’s and women’s wear, with the men’s section to be secluded away.

the two sections was achieved by placing the salon in the center of the rectangular space, enclosed by suspended CNC cut lotus motif ‘Jaalis’ in rusted metal, which has been used to detail out the central structure and the façade as well. A blown glass chandelier was used to light up the Salon. Brass pillar structures gives the space an Indian traditional feel with temple tops, used as sculptural elements, framing the display hanging details. The main circulation passage is provided for by the low height space which is embellished in woven fabric with the lotus motif from Rohit Bal’s studio, used all over the store in

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the separation of

varied interpretations. Tall leaning mirrors and vertical wall cladding with mirrors in the circulation space act as dividers of space. The interior spatial arena reflects a grungy grandeur by basing the principal colour story on dull gold and dark metal grays heightened by the use of suspended trays holding narrow beam QR 111 lamps that render theatrical ambience. In the end, a grand Indian saga unfolds in an area of 1315 square feet, reflecting the rich essence of the Indian culture.

Brass pillar structures give the space an Indian traditional feel with tall leaning mirrors and vertical wall cladding with mirrors in the circulation space acting as dividers of space while offering varied views of the space

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C l i e n t Rohit Bal y e a r 2008 Ar e a 100 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

1. Store 2. Pantry 3. Cash counter 4. Men’s display 5. Men’s salon 6. Women’s salon 7. Change room 8. Women’s display 9. Entry

Suspended CNC cut lotus motif ‘Jaali’ in rusted metal that encloses the salon and used to detail out the central structure and the façade

Lotus inspired brass inlay flooring rendered in blue pigmented cement

A blown glass chandelier, designed especially for the store and executed by local craftsmen was used to light up the Salon which was enclosed by the Jaali

A mild steel sculptural detail allowing the garments to be spaced out uniformly in the space

RAJESH PRATAP SINGH

The brief was to create a unique indoor-outdoor experience for a high end Indian fashion label, which took advantage of the available setting and delivered a surreal ambience.

the task by Rajesh Pratap Singh, to create a simple, clean store having its own distinct design statement. This was done by using the tailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tool, a pair of scissors, as a metaphor, aiming to bring out the individual personality of the store. A pair of scissors being the purest symbol of this trade with its own symbolic strength, this â&#x20AC;&#x153;scissorâ&#x20AC;? was laid into motifs and patterns to generate a lace like surface which wrapped around the walls and ceilings forming the skin of the shell. For this metal lacework, thousands of a pair of scissors were purchased from the market or sourced from various manufacturers. Several of these

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lotus was given

scissors were rejected following their failure in respect to the structural strength required for the welded panels. Prefabricated panels with scissor patterns were welded onto the metal frame with shelves for the merchandise and integrated details for hanging incorporated in this scissor mesh. It is a store created with a vision to achieve simplicity through contemporary design. The entire shell was painted in an identical white with the flooring done in grey sandstone with a texture created using shot blasting and brushing

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1. Service entrance 2. Storage 3. Cash counter 4. Change room 5. Seating 6. Entrance

C l i e n t Rajesh Pratap Singh y e a r 2008 Ar e a 60 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

Several explorations were undertaken at the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm which involved breaking down and rejecting several tools to finalize the primary element of design

Prefabricated panels with scissor patterns were welded onto the metal frame for shelves and for integrated details for hanging

For the metal lace work, thousands of a pair of scissors of different types were purchased or sourced from various manufacturers. Several of these scissors were rejected following failure in respect to the structural strength required for the welded panels

A pair of scissors laid into motifs and patterns to generate a lace like surface which wrapped around the walls and ceilings forming the skin of the shell

Hanging details made from hundreds of welded pair of scissors

Hanging devices and linear trays constitute the system of display

Basic par38 lamps, suspended through the mesh, along with linear trays neatly aligned along the metal framework create a simple and clean display zone with the necessary ambient light level

“A major plus point of Lotus is that they treat every project with a different perspective and present each one of them in a completely different and unique way. This very style of working has taken Lotus to new heights over the course of time. “While working with Lotus, I got to learn a lot Apart from this quality, the way each memof things. I got to do a lot of things that helped ber of the team, be it a contractor or a vendor, shape my name in the market. All credit goes is explained and made to understand the to Lotus when people say good things about nuances of the project is commendable. me and my work. No matter how many doubts and how many 1. The first thing that I noticed about Lotus is questions one has, Ambrish, Ankur, Sidhartha that Ambrish never attains peace until the and the Lotus team explain and answer till the design has been finalized. If problems ever time a level of satisfaction is achieved. If you arose, we sorted them out and delivered what “The style of working of Lotus is appreciable ask them a thing 20 times, they will explain it the clients expected of us. and the quality of work is commendable. They 20 times without ever losing their patience. 2. Before we set about doing a project, everyexplain everything clearly for the benefit of all Kullu is another person who is a very patient one, be it the vendor or the designer, is taken the team members, even if they have to repeat man. He never loses his cool with anyone. to the site and made to understand every it a hundred times. Ambrish ji is a really good person who loves detail about it. Ambrish ji explains everything very nicely; I the people he works with. He doesn’t treat any3. I never had any problems in understanding have never met another person like him who one differently. Be it a contractor or a vendor the design language of Lotus. Whatever I ask is treats his co workers with so much respect and or the designer, he treats everyone with the explained to me in the right way. love. Lotus has become a big company now, same level of respect, care and love. He treats 4. Work is and has to be done on time. It might but even then everybody (the contractors, venme like his own brother. If there has been any go up by 2-4 days but not more. Lotus fixes a dors and designers) sit together on a project mistake on my side while working on a project, time and they deliver within that time frame. for the ideation and brainstorming. I find this the issue is solved like it is done in a family. Lotus works in tandem with the designers quality really refreshing. I have become what I am today because of and the vendors. They solve all the issues and Whatever work that Lotus has ever undertook Lotus and I have a huge respect for the comproblems as a team and this is the best thing and completed is always beautifully done and pany and its people.” that I like about Lotus.” I have great respect for the company. I have learnt a lot from Lotus over the past many years of my association with them about the value of delivering a good quality project and on doing things differently that I may have never done before After getting associated with Lotus, my own market value has gone up. I got a lot of offers to work with other companies because of the elect r ic a l c o nt r a c o r fa b r ic a t o r work I did with Lotus.” / / e x p e r ience s WH I L E WORK I N G w it h lo t u s o v e r t h e l a s t 1 0 y e a r s

Thakur Singh

Sukhvir Singh

Goverdhan Shera ci v il c o nt r a c o r

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SPATIAL EVOLUTION OF LOTUS OVER THE YEARS The first office at Anupam Enclave, New Delhi (2002-2009)

“This space was an extension we added later on. We used to love the winter sun here.”

“The staircase used to be our conversation and smoking zone.”

“Kullu’s desk. Beside this was Ambrish’s private cabin. He doesn’t have one now.”

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The second office at Ch. Prem Singh House, Lado Sarai, New Delhi (2009-2011)

“The office kitchen, where Umeshji makes lunch and chai.” Refer to page 106 to check out what Umesh ji dishes out for lunch everyday

“One of the conference rooms where we have lunch and celebrate birthdays and special events.”

“The entire office was on one floor and everyone knew each other very well”

“The staircase used to be our conversation and smoking zone.”

“The new first floor extension. One enters the second floor through this. Summers are much cooler on this floor!”

The current office with the extension floor below at Ch. Prem Singh House, Lado Sarai, New Delhi (2011 - present) 3

The library

“The second floor which has the maximum number of people working”

“Our lunch room where everyone gets to eat together lunch prepared by Umesh ji and where we usually have our Saturday potluck feast”

The Lotus office in Lado Sarai, New Delhi

* Birthdays are fun at Lotus and each and every birthday of an employee is celebrated with the traditional cake cutting and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smearingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!

CHOLE

KULCHE

28%

METHOD Boil the chana (chick peas) After boiling, add a whole crushed pomegranate In a different pan, sliced onions with ginger pieces (fried in oil) are mixed well till brown. (10-15 minutes) Add coriander, chilli powder, and garam masala (a blend of ground spices) and anaardana (pomegranate) powder to the onion mixture Leave the mixture undisturbed for 5 seconds Add the chana Add tamarind water Add a little more of anaardana powder 2 glasses of water need to be added Properly cook the entire mixture for 10 minutes You have your Chole ready!

RAJMA

CHAWAL

22%

METHOD

POPULAR LUNCH FAVOURITES* AT LOTUS Everyone at Lotus have ‘office-made’ lunch prepared by Umesh and Amarjeet, everyday. Umesh’s Chole Kulche and Rajma Chawal are a hit among the employees! * Internal Survey conducted among 43 employess during the months of August - September 2012

Boil the Rajma (red kidney beans) Squeeze the water out of tomatoes and pumpkin and fry them till they turn brown Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli, and garam masala After 5 seconds, add some more chopped tomatoes After 2 seconds, add the Rajma Close the lid of the pressure cooker and wait till the whistle blows for the first time Leave it for a second whistle Rajma is ready to be served

CHICKEN

10%

DAL

CURRY

CHAWAL

"One of the good things about Lotus, was the lunch time for us. There was Amarjeet, before Umesh ji was there. I remember a time when we were working on Khaaja Chowk and of the various prototypes that were there, an old horn of the old rickshaw was blown during lunchtime to signal to everyone to come down for lunch. It was great fun. We used to wait for that horn and go ‘yay!"

Anupa Mathew (Designer, 2003 - 2006)

“Umesh ji (cook) is really sweet and we used to keep telling him “Umesh ji, this is really good! That is really good. Umesh ji, why don’t you make this today?” and all that. I think he was always quiet, peaceful and would smile when we would say such things.”

Ridhima Dasot (Designer, 2009 - 2011)

“There is an air of familiarity of being at Lotus. It is our Lotus. And I work here considering it to be my own. I make food for the people I call my own. The people here are good people, including the bosses. I wish Lotus grows exponentially and more people get added to the firm. The more it grows the more work it gets. And that is a really good thing. As the company grew from what it was at Anupam Apartments to what it is now, I have always felt happy. I always felt it was my company that was growing over the years.”

Amarjeet (Sr. Office boy, 2002 - present)

Umesh (Cook, 2005 - present)

AVERAGE NUMBER OF ROTIS* MADE FOR LUNCH EVERDAY AT LOTUS * Roti is a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour. Source: Wikipedia

2011-2012

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

8 16 24 30 36 36 36 45 55 70

*DOING NOW, mail dwgs to nj, compile BOQ, develop

narrative, material palette, sex it up, feel aa raha hai, ergonomic study of hotel user, what is the experience?, sutta time, paymo entry incomplete, generate rhythm, what is the story?, e-board, revise sections, what do you think?, graphic intervention, horizontal and vertical circulation, rendered elevations, jaali, found joy?, design development, referencing, router cutting, follow up, MEDITATION, call plumbing consultant, bronze mirror, list of mock ups, building bye laws, collaboration, team building, server down, chai time * words frequently used / heard at lotus

not doing now, computer nahin chal raha, yellow food day, for what joy?, team@lotuslink.in, make it exclusive, review, saturday presentation, referencing, should we sit, sunday working:(, antique finish, 9:306:30, music change, red bull piyo, plan your day, neuferts, charcoal grey, make it tight, sketchup model, prototyping list, feeling nahin aa rahi, organise yourself, 3D views, laser cutting, volume control, site visit, flamed, brushed, sandblasted, overall zoning, 3mm groove, mirror detail, toilet paper over, push yourself, hajaar things, bring in some drama, lemon tea, plan your day, quite cool, PLEASE SWIPE YOUR FINGERPRINT AGAIN, THANK YOU!

decon lamps for lotus. used on the desks of the present office

RAAS JODHPUR

Hospitality

110

Lotus was briefed to create a luxury boutique hotel out of a 1.5 acre property at the base of Mehrangarh Fort in the walled city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan with 39 rooms, having the underlying essence of the Old City quarter of Jodhpur, and to create a prominent dialogue between the old and the new. to give the visitors the tactile and sensual experience of the old city of Jodhpur, the design response focused on luxury emanating from the genuineness of the materials and the workmanship. The property occupying the central courtyard was inherited with three beautiful period structures of the 17th and 18th century, which were restored in the original material of lime mortar and Jodhpur sandstone. It was done by availing the traditional craftsmen, locally sourced from a 30km radius. 36 rooms were created, inspired by the traditional stone latticed Jharokhas of Rajasthani architecture, which spread over 3 contempo-

rary buildings, and were inserted into the site in a manner that framed the visual and spatial relationship among the old buildings and the Fort. Each element was handcrafted with the prime focus being on simplicity and function, with the materials (hand cut stone, poured in situ pigmented cement terrazzo on floors, walls and sheesham - Dalbergia sissoo, a local hard Indian hardwood, used for locally crafted furniture and cabinet) and over 100 craftsmen which have been sourced locally. More importantly, the entire development of the project was based on the fundamentals of Sustainable Architecture. which can be felt in the vicinity of Raas, Jodhpur.

Raas: a luxury boutique hotel with 39 rooms that essays the underlying essence of the Old City quarter of Jodhpur via a dialogue that it successfully establishes between the old and the new

A period structure that frames the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur

The key design intervention was the three beautiful period structures of the 17th and 18th century which were inherited with the site

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1. Entrance 2. Office 3. Toilet 4. Entrance court 5. Pavilion entrance 6. Rooms 7. Sunken court 8. Lotus pool 9. Deck seating space 10. Baradari cafeteria 11. Pool 12. Bar 13. Kitchen 14. Hotel manager and office 15. Shops

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16. Alcove seating 17. Platform 18. Spa area 19. Kitchen 20. Food store 21. Staff cafeteria 22. Administration and Maintenance 23. Verandah 24. Female toilet and locker 25. Male toilet and locker 26. Training room 27. Garbage disposal 28. Loading and unloading bay 29. Staff entry

Ambrish Arora

C l i e n t Walled City Hotels Pvt. Ltd., Nikhilendra Singh y e a r 2009 Ar e a 5500 sq.m. Loc a t ion Jodhpur, Rajasthan T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu, in collaboration with Praxis Inc., Bengaluru (Rajiv Mazumdar, Jamuna Rani)

Raas Jodhpur won the World Architecture Festival - Holiday Building of the Year - 2011

“I met Nikhil (the client) towards the end of 2005 during the time of the Mehrangarh shop project. Nikhil came for the opening of the Museum Shop and talked about doing a project (a hotel) together after seeing Lotus’ work. When I asked “Why are you coming to Lotus for this project when we have no experience in hotel design?” Nikhil said, “Chal yaar, let’s do it”. We called in Rajeev (of Praxis inc.) to help out with the project considering his work experience.”

Arun Kullu DESIGN PRINCIPAL

“We struggled a lot to resolve the project. Fittings eventually worked out, but holding together the stone for the jaali was a problem because it was heavy (the only way was to bolt it but the bolts would show). So one day, when everything else was done and the screens remained, Nikhil (the client) said that he would scrap it if Lotus didn’t do the screens because the whole ideation of Raas had stemmed from it. We made full scale drawings of the details and showed a mock up of it the next day. Over that weekend, I flew to Jodhpur and finished up the screens. The entire metal framework for the Jaalis was done in Delhi and taken to Jodhpur where the stone was fixed.”

Sukhvir Singh FABRICATOR

More than 100 local craftsmen were sourced within a 30km radius

Each architectural design element was handcrafted with the materials sourced locally

Construction entailed the restoration of the three period structures in original material of lime mortar and Jodhpur sandstone

On site construction saw the use of hand cut stone and poured in situ pigmented cement terrazzo on floors and walls

“Raas Jodhpur has a special place in my heart. The facade and the interiors, especially the facade, was something that I never done before. Ambrish ji had approached me since their man at Bangalore wasn’t able to do it. He informed me that a sample was on its way and asked whether I will be interested in doing it. I said that I will do it. It took me 4 months to create the sample for Raas. It took another 4-5 months to finish the project.”

Light streaming through the extensive Jaali work envelops the entire walkway in patterns of light and shadow

Extensive employment of Jaali as the external face of the structure

The heavily fabricated stone jaaliwork at the entrance that makes up the facade of Raas

Blue tiled swimming pool surrounds the deck seating area with Mehrangarh Fort as the ideal backdrop

Clusters of seating made of sheesham (a local hard Indian hardwood) is aligned in a geometrical fashion on the verandah

A stairway leading up is flanked by walls painted blue

Interplay of light and shadow by the Jaali work employed in the design execution, washes the interiors with fascinating patterns

A colonnade of arches form the partition wall that separates the living and bedroom spaces inside the luxurious hotel rooms

One of the existing renovated structures surround a courtyard of greens and blues with the Fort as the main backdrop

/ / H I GHS A N D LOWS WH I L E WORK I N G

Nikhilendra Singh

/ / HOW H E M E T AMBR I SH

C L I E N T , RAAS JODHPUR a n d RAAS k a n g r a

Ambrish used to go to Jodhpur at that time of Mehrangarh Museum Shop and Nikhlendra’s father was looking after the Trust that handled the Shop. His father was an extremely practical man who loved restoration and was full of praise for Ambrish about his style which he had seen in the work of Mehrangarh (very simple, the centuries old stone showedessayed a sense of respect for the old, sensitive and a sense of humility).

There were a lot of lows during this project, the more prominent one being about the Jaali. The 29th building design option was approved by Nikhil and had a Jaali facade. For a year, Nikhil states, Lotus couldn’t figure how the Jaali facade would look like, how it was going to work, and other related queries (whether it will open and close). At the end of the year, the whole building was up and three floors had been done along with the interiors starting off. This is when Nikhil called up Ambrish and Rajeev and said, “Listen, scrap the Jaali. The building is looking good enough. We will do the facade the normal way; we will put railings and other things because the building is almost done and it doesn’t have a facade”.

And this is when Lotus picked up their work pace and started working on the Jaali. While working out the logistics, Nikhil said the whole idea of shipping the stone to Delhi to have it detailed out and then ship it back to Jodhpur was not going to work out. It was a serious matter. Kullu came in and worked out the joints and somehow solved the Jaali issue. So Nikhilendra and Ambrish met a couple of Kullu went to Jodhpur and told Nikhilendra times, during this project. This was 8 years ago, that they had found glue that could bind stone when Nikhilendra wanted to do something in and metal and works superbly without the use the walled city of Jodhpur. of nuts and bolts. They were in touch for 3 years and every time they would meet up, Nikhil and Ambrish would Nikhil remembers that stifling summer talk about doing the hotel. After acquiring the day, around 12 in the afternoon, when the land, the very next day, he called up Ambrish, contractors put the facade up, sticking the who, along with Rajeev, flew down to Jodhpur stone up with the glue. At 6 in the evening, the day after the call was made. they had their train back so they wrapped up

/ / B E S T C OMP L I M E N T H E R E C E I V E D

The best compliments were given to Nikhil by the people of Jodhpur who have a lot of respect for Raas. People don’t ask for discounts here because they are happy to pay at Raas. The old city of Jodhpur is neglected in a way but Raas developed a fan following which naturally gave prominence to the city. “It is nice to see something international and world class happening in Jodhpur”- people usually compliment

the work, all happy that it was finally done, and left. Nikhil had stayed back on the site. So around 7 he saw that, one by one, the stone Jaalis were falling off. He called up Ambrish and asked him to hit the drawing board again. Nikhil wouldn’t want to call it a low. It was more of a challenge to it since the entire project could have been derailed had the facade not worked out.

The stone made walkway rendering a direct view of the Mehrangarh Fort

One of the warmly lit hotel rooms with elaborate fenestrations letting in natural light

HAYTA conversion of an old fashioned modernist Bangalore house into a premium bath accessories destination was executed by restructuring the load bearing walls of the building to extend into the landscape to create a seamless blend of the inside and the outside spatial zones with the materials blurring the boundaries.

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C l i e n t Espio Solutions y e a r 2009 Ar e a 450 sq.m. Loc a t ion Bengaluru T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

HARD ROCK CAFĂ&#x2030; to Delhi included synthesising a bar, a restaurant, a performance stage, into a singular venue that combined the industrial look with opulence or the raw essence with luxury as is the brand identity. A raw shell of concrete was, consequently, offset with highlydetailed textures and materials were mainly flamed wood and velvet.

bringing hard rock

Food and Beverage

129

C l i e n t JSM Corporation y e a r 2010 Ar e a 650 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

KEYA KAINOOSH

Food & Beverage

130

The instructions were clear: create a chic and sophisticated Indian fine dining restaurant and a bar. The real challenge that the team at Lotus posed was that there was to be a common kitchen for the bar and the restaurant.

lotus was handed the project of Keya and Kainoosh, an interesting combination of a restaurant and a bar. The task was to establish a relationship that made the kitchen an intersecting diagonal block and at the same time granting individualistic characters to both the spaces it catered to. Kainoosh was developed as a fusion of many spatial choices: the arched entry corridor, 20 feet by 4 feet, was linear; the restaurant and the PDR took on a circular shape as defined by the plan of the mall where it was located. The space was made contemporary and monolithic, even though the primary inspiration was rooted in traditional Indian Crafts and Architecture. One of the

focal example is the beautiful CNC cut cement board jaali inspired by the Taj Mahal serving as the backdrop of the entire restaurant which gives the entire space a surrounding Indian rhythm that complements the Indian food being served. Rajesh Pratap Singh was roped in as the primary collaborator for designing the vertical laser cut sheets of felt adorning the backdrop.

A CNC cut cement board (E Board) jaali serves as the backdrop of the entire restaurant, giving the entire space a surrounding Indian rhythm that complements the Indian food being served

Ridhima Dasot DESIGNER

“The inspiration for this project came from what the client had wanted and also from the name as well because Keya means flower, after which, we got the graphics and everything else designed. The clients were involved in the project directly to quite an extent. It was quite exciting because the shape of the place was a little odd so it needed us to do a lot of back and forth to the site maybe because the dimensions weren’t coming out right. The entire layout and space planning and the execution provided me with a good learning experience. At the end of the day, the clients were really happy and so were we.”

C l i e n t Keya Kainoosh y e a r 2010 Ar e a 350 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

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1. DJ console 2. Outdoor seating 3. Bar 4. Toilets 5. Keya entry 6. Main entry 7. Kainoosh entry 8. Kitchen 9. Kainoosh dining area 10. Bar 11. Liquor store 12. Private dining area 13. Managers

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Floral tessellations

The arched entry corridor of 20 feet by 4 feet is lit up by chandeliers that exude an illuminated aura of beauty

The inlit corian island bar is a combination of cement board and bronze mirror in floral tessellations

The restaurant is composed of varied seatings against the backdrop of the Jaaliwork with a monochromatic chequered flooring

An exclusive dining space lit up by lamps of Tom Dixon and Lotus

KUKREJA

Residential

138

A city bungalow for a well travelled couple in their 50s, their daughter, their son and his wife, which provided independent living spaces for the inhabitants which will yet be able to translate a sense of connectivity and provide intimacy, ample sunlight in winter, indirect light in summer and ventilation. to be able to draw in the winter sun and keep away the summer heat, Lotus designed the space on a diagonal grid that allowed taking advantage of the South East direction. The kitchen and toilets were oriented towards the west which kept the heat out, thus reducing the air conditioning costs. This positioning created interesting nooks and corners that defined space within a space. The south and north east faces were opened and the terraces were made staggered to allow sunlight to penetrate deep into the house. The plan, structured around a small and centrally placed skylight courtyard, brings in fresh air and daylight to all

the rooms of this G+2 configuration. The construction was kept honest with most of it left exposed, be it the Delhi quartzite rubble masonry walls that encapsulate the public functions of the house or the exposed saw cut timber shuttered concrete slabs. Vastu constraints were seen as an opportunity to break the ground floor and create a split level circulation. Furthermore, the inverted beam structure created full height openings and established a strong connection between the internal and external spatial realms. A winding stairway that connects all the levels (G+2) of the structure

7 1

3 4

FIRST FLOOR 1. Balcony 2. Bed room 3. Wardrobe FIRST FLOOR LAYOUT 4. Washroom 5. Family living room 6. Lift lobby 7. Lift

C l i e n t Kukreja y e a r 2010 Ar e a 1000 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

1 8 3

4 7 0

GROUND FLOOR 1. Porch 2. Fire place 3. Drawing room 4. Toilets 5. Central courtyard 6. Dining room 7. Parking 8. Bedroom 9. Washroom 10. Kitchen

The honest construction of the Kukreja Residence allows the structure to age and weather beautifully

The landing at one of the levels of the house with a subsequent corridor leading to rooms further ahead

The bathrooms, being west-oriented, reduces the air conditioning costs

A small and centrally placed skylight courtyard brings in fresh air and daylight to all the rooms of this G+2 configuration

The living and dining spaces, having a split level circulation due to Vastu constraints, overlook the central courtyard

NANDITA BASU a rectangular yellow translucent glass cube was inserted into the raw distressed grey shell of exposed brick of a trapezoidal space of 30 square metres that terminates into tessellated mirror shutters.

Retail

146

C l i e n t Nandita Basu y e a r 2010 Ar e a 30 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

MANAV GANGWANI the inspiration was the grottos - an intimate cave like space, which forms the foundation of many classical structures. The space was conceptualised with a formal architectural expression rather than creating a decorative interior design experience keeping in mind the embellished quality of the garments on display.

Residential

147 189

C l i e n t Manav Gangwani y e a r 2011 Ar e a 150 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

DIVA / CAFĂ&#x2030; DIVA

The design brief of Diva and CafĂŠ Diva centred on the importance of the chefs and developing the kitchen as the main highlight of the space.

New Delhi was the chosen site for the creation of a cafe-restaurant for Ritu Dalmia. It posed the predictable limitations of an old structure and a tight footprint that needed to be creatively overcome. The space was visualised to provide an experience of dining in her kitchen itself, like having a brick pizza oven and an appetizing deli. The longest edge, made up by a diagonal line across the space, was converted into a dividing wall between the kitchen and the seating areas. Suspended mild steel shelving with crockery, olive bottles, books etc., inserted as a skin acts as a screening device that frames selective views into the kitchen, while at the

Food & Beverage

148

greater kailash in

lower level it provides for a service cum storage credenza. The space is accentuated by the tan colored oiled leather on the chairs and wine crate packaging as cladding for the bar at the entrance whose detail was also taken forward into the toilets as panelling detail. Linen lamps and the kitchen skin wash the space with a softly lit gentle ambience, transforming it from its high energy avatar created by the large bay windows that let in profuse amount of sunlight, during the day. The internal spatial haven of Cafe Diva is made complete by the adornment on the walls by the small collection of photographs shot by Ritu on one of her trips to Italy.

Tan coloured oiled leather on the chairs accentuate the monolithic space constituting of largely grey cement board clad walls and ceiling, bronze mirror inserts, brown walnut wooden dado and furniture

C l i e n t Ritu Dalmia y e a r 2011 Ar e a 250 sq.m. Loc a t ion GK2, New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Asha Sairam, Arun Kullu, Chandni Aggarwal, Priya Jindal

DIVA FIRST FLOOR 1. Service station 2. Wine cellar 3. Extended kitchen 4. Kitchen entry 5. Kitchen

1 2

DIVA GROUND FLOOR 1. Verandah 2. Entry 3. Store 4. Bar 5. Deli 6. Live Kitchen 7. Toilet

3 2

A multi-utility stairway that doubles up as shelving for books, crockery among other items

The wine storage rack doubles up as a display element in the space

Suspended linen lamps from the ceiling wash the walnut brown wooden furniture with a comfortably warm ambience. A small collection of photographs shot by Ritu on one of her trips to Italy adorns the wall

C l i e n t Ritu Dalmia y e a r 2010 Ar e a 100 sq.m. Loc a t ion GK 1, New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Asha Sairam, Arun Kullu, Chandni Aggarwal, Priya Jindal

100 M

Priya Jindal DESIGNER

2 1 3 5

6 4

CAFE DIVA 1. Café 2. Kitchen 3. Counter 4. Entry 5. Services 6. Toilet

“Ritu Dalmia came to the Lotus office one day to hand over the brief of the project. I worked with Asha, Mahrooh (for the first time) and Ankur. Italian cuisine was the theme on which the entire design process was centered on. So the ideation started off by finding a way to intermingle the Italian culture and the Indian culture, and it was found in food (in the way the food was cooked). So the kitchen formed the heart of the cafe. =What if the kitchen is the restaurant, and not the fact that the restaurant has a kitchen? Ritu really liked the idea and was very convinced about it.”

1100MM Wine crate packaging as cladding for the bar

The restaurant, with a monolithic spatial look, is conceptualized around the kitchen and lit up by suspended lamps from the ceiling

Large bay windows, varied seating arrangements and collections of photographs render the space a casual dining appeal

MKM OFFICE

The brief stated the creation of a clean space that would deliver a statement and exude a certain sense of quality.

Workspace

158

located in jasola,

New Delhi, an area of 4300 square feet was the foundational space for the creation of the corporate head office for MKM group. The design response entailed a spatial conceptualization that would deliver a sense of transparency and shared workspace. Due to its location, the space faced the harsh west light which was cut out by using white louvers that kept the sun away and brought in the desired light. Peripheral cabins in glass, along the south west corner in accordance with Vastu, frame a notional central â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;courtyardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; like space that opens out to the green terrace through the glass walls of the boardroom, offering privacy yet retaining the

essence of transparency. Glass has been used extensively in the space with careful placements of artefacts, which were provided by the client itself, to complement the spatial styling. A cool palette of grey stained cement board, concrete and glass was employed to act as a frame for the sculpted furniture in CNC cut stacked plywood. At the culmination of this design project, one is treated to a visual quite unlike those projected by a conventional office space. Grey stained cement board, natural stone and glass constituted the palette that framed the sculpted furniture in CNC cut stacked plywood

C l i e n t Group MKM y e a r 2011 Ar e a 430 sq.m. Loc a t ion Jasola, New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

Arun Kullu DESIGN PRINCIPAL

6 6 3

3 13

7 4 2 6 6

0 1M

1. Storage 2. Lift 3. Partners cabin 4. Kitchen/Pantry 5. Toilet 6. Cabin 7. Work station 8. Discussion room 9. Conference room 10. Waiting area 11. Main entry 12. Reception 13. Terrace

“This project saw the deviation from straight-line ply forms to curvy forms, taking a step further in ply-work. The blinds used in MKM were made of paper (Tyvek was used for the first time in this project). It was a very challenging project for me. The electrical requirements kept changing so a lot of wiring went into this project. A hollow metal platform in all the work stations hide the wiring away. The circular table was made by cutting the sheets into a disc (a pie shape) and then joined together; didn’t follow the conventional radial system (plywood was used). At the centre of the table, a small was hole was left, indicating that the flexyply couldn’t be bent further.”

Custom designed suspended lamps illuminate the shared workstations

Organic stacked ply work table

Sculpted tables in Computer Numerical Control machine (CNC) cut stacked plywood

LEMP

A space that would house a brew bar, a restaurant that functioned day and night, a lounge, a dance floor and a performance stage under one roof was the task at hand.

to essay the essence and rich history of beer, granting the customers a unique experience of drinking right beside the brewery. Graced by the northern light, a large cylindrical volume made up the restaurant, tucking away the bar/lounge zone into the darker factions of the space. Brewery was placed on the mezzanine level to not only be able to utilise the height and volume of the site but also to serve as the backdrop. Frequent glimpses of this brewery remind one of the fresh beers that are being served. The brewery equipment weighed many tonnes and required heavy duty structure which was provided by inserting a structural

Food & Beverage

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the brief was

grid in the space to support the mezzanine. The use of low cost recycled/recyclable materials such as paper tubes, old bottles, stained glass and chain mail, contrasted against the luxurious materials of leather and fabric. The bar with an installation made of old bottles separates the restaurant from the lounge that transforms into a dance floor at sun down. While different configurations cater to variant customer group sizes, various seating arrangements were availed which could be removed when the bar turns into a club.

A large cylindrical structure makes up the restaurant with the brewery on the mezzanine level as the backdrop of the Lemp experience

C l i e n t Shashank Sangall y e a r 2011 Ar e a 5300 sq.m. Loc a t ion Gurgaon T e a m Ambrish Arora, Pankhuri Goel, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu, Vijendra Sharma

Pankhuri Goel Senior Designer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lemp was an awesome project. It happened very organically. The project came to us because the clients (3 people who were into the alcohol, gutka and soap businesses) were impressed with Shiro. We were, initially, very unsure about how to deal with the project with respect to the ideation and client-company design interactions. As the project commenced, we were faced with a large space with not a phenomenal budget which made us turn to recycled or recyclable materials and this defined the design story for the project.â&#x20AC;?

0 1M

4 6 12

11 3 7

9 8 5 12 1. Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office 2. Toilet 3. Store/Service 4. Service entry 5. Main entry 6. Day food store 7. VIP Lounge

0 1M 8. Performance area 9. Bar seating/Dance floor 10. Bar 11. Live kitchen 12. Service counter 13. Fine dining

View from the mezzanine of the bar that separates the restaurant from the lounge

Leather seating of the Lounge with chain mail forming a partition screen. The mezzanine at the back houses the VIP Lounge and performance area

Curved leather seating arrangements of the restaurant on a monochromatic floor with a view of the brewery

The live kitchen with a graphical front announcing the beer menu

/ / f i r s t f e w d ay s

/ / WORK I N G W I T H L O T US

as a team but with Lotus, it was about proving the name, etc. So the passion, the zest was just

“I liked the work environment; I liked the

incredible. It was good fun.”

freedom to make our own decisions. I like the fact that everybody was heard out. You know,

/ / f i r s t p r o j ect

/ / m e m o r ie s

“I think the first project was F Bar and Lounge at “It was a strong sense of being in a family while

AnupaMathew

p r o j ect d e s i g ne r ( 2 0 0 3 - 2 0 0 6 )

you were made to feel like the project was your baby and that you could speak up. You could really take onus and bring forward your ideas. It wasn’t like it was only one

Lado Sarai. But the first project that we started

I was at Lotus. You really feel that these guys

work on was never realized, which was The Flirt-

are there for you. They pretty much handled my person’s project. The environment was great.

ing Nargis. It was conceptualised, but. The first

wedding sangeet. They handled the decor; They We were colleagues. We never felt that Ambrish

one was to come up in Connaught Place but it

figured out everything. Literally, my parents did was our boss or anything like that. It was com-

never happened, though there was much work

nothing. I mean, I could really count on these

pletely open. There was no hierarchy. In total-

done on it.”

guys. It was a pretty huge deal. Also, they were

ity, it was a wonderful environment to work in”

having these secret rehearsals and I had no / / w o r k in g initi a lly

hint of it. They did this dance on my wedding; Ambrish and all. It was so much fun! They are

“When I started, it was a very small team. There

mad. They are complete sweethearts.

were Ambrish, Sidhartha, Ankur, Ankur’s sister

This strong sense of family that Lotus is able to

Anuja who took care of the administration, and

exude is something that I really appreciate.”

then there was I, Kailash, Mangal ji and Harish ji, Amarjeet and Pasha. It was a very small tight team and it was a lot of fun. We used to do everything together. You

The high point about Lotus was the working environment. You get to go to work to a place, everyday, where you enjoy. It is a big deal because you have to go to that place every

were not restricted to just one realm of thought. single day. And if you don’t enjoy it, why would you want to go there again?” Lotus would always collaborate with different designers and experts of every field. If you happen to choose a fabric, it is not just about choosing the fabric; you have to talk to the textile designer who knows about it and then you take their creative input. The client always has various options to choose from. Also the procedure to deal with the clients was also very transparent; quite clear. No one ever felt left out. Everyone thought that they had some contribution to every project; irrespective of how small their role was.”

SmritiSachdev

p r o j ect d e s i g ne r ( 2 0 0 7 - 2 0 0 9 )

/ / m e m o r ie s

“I had a great time at Lotus because I remember that Lotus was such a small firm at that time. There was always Ambrish, Sidhartha, Kullu, and I working together. We were around 5 designers, a cook, the clerks and the receptionist; that’s all. I remember Amarjeet and whatever sabzi was there for lunch was grilled into a sandwich by him and given to us for the evening. I remember a ‘bhengan ka bharta’ ka sandwich (aubergine sandwich)! I also remember this thing about Ambrish when he got into his health mode. The entire office would be eating samosas and he would be having 2 bananas or something. It was quite a sight. It was like there was heavy brainstorming happening at night, around 8:30, and Ambrish would be eating bananas.”

NidhiAggarwal

p r o j ect d e s i g ne r ( 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 8 )

/ / w o r k in g w it h lo t u s

“It is a very design oriented organization. And a lot of things are put up-front to the clients. Now that I have gone independent, I realize the importance of setting it very right in the beginning; about timelines, that you need ‘x’ amount of time for concept development and

/ / L O T US A T 1 0

“I would just say “Yay!” and that it is absolutely lovely. I remember when the new office had opened at Lado Sarai and how Ambrish and all were giving speeches on how their 7 years’ of

other things. What is also interesting is that we

journey had been, so it was really nice and you

project getting delayed, the design is always

is amazing that I could be a part of it. Little bit

start with a concept that is seen through till the also felt a part of it. It is amazing that it has been 10 years and it very end. Even though there is a danger of the constantly evolving. For me, working at Lotus, gave a very good exposure given that all the main people came from different backgrounds. I think that Sidhartha could manage a project really well. Ankur is extremely talented on the detailing and Ambrish is the driving force. And Kullu, of course! It’s like a lot of energies coming together.”

only but it just feels great that however little you were able to contribute, you gained so much more in return; and great going! I think the story of Lotus and how they got to where they are is very motivational, especially for us when we are on our own.”

RidhimaDasot

p r o j ect d e s i g ne r ( 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 8 )

Pankhuri started working with Lotus in March 2009. She did her training as an Exhibition Designer at NID. Initially, it was a bit scary for her to venture into Interior Design at Lotus since she had no clue about the work demands. During her interview, her resume showed projects that had no relation to interior design but they (Principals at Lotus) connected with her, apart from liking her thought process. “As long as you can think, it’s fine, since everything falls around a thought process.”

/ / a b o u t lo t u s

PankhuriGoel

Pankhuri doesn’t feel like a typical employee.

Priya trained as an interior designer from CEPT, Ahmedabad, joined Lotus joined, it was an office of 25-30 people and in June 2009, when it operated today, the number has doubled with the comfrom Anupam Apartments - the first pany touching a large scale mark and becoming workspace in Saket, New Delhi The open environment at Lotus provides her a space that she could call her own. When she

much more systematic in its functionality. She believes that she has grown immensely while working with Lotus and enjoys the kind

// on ankur

of work that Lotus delivers: spaces that seem

Priya feels that Ankur, being a graphic designer,

to convey a narrative. Every project at Lotus is

his design experimentations essay a strong

started off right from the scratch, looking at it

visual connect. While working on the layout, he

as a project that has never been done before.

would end up creating a sense of rhythm in it,

Pankhuri praises Lotus for the unique and indi-

subconsciously. She adds that his plans, while

vidualistic nature of its creative indulgences,

making it functional, would somehow turn out

reinventing everything with every new project

to be beautiful art pieces, quite unintentionally.

// on ambrish and sidhartha

/ / r it u k u m a r s t o r e s

Pankhuri says that she could talk to Ambrish

One of India’s top fashion designers, Ritu Kumar

about anything under the sky, be it technology

wanted to revamp their entire stores, creating a

or materials. Ambrish is always the person she

new identity for the brand. So Priya, along with

turns to in her moments of doubt.

other designers in the office got to work on 8

PriyaJindal

p r o j ect d e s i g ne r

s eni o r p r o j ect d e s i g ne r

Working with Sidhartha was a brilliant

stores all over India for Ritu Kumar. One of the

experience for her. “He can build anything.” The

projects, she considers is very close to her heart

amount of learning that Pankhuri did through

since every store had evolved in its own capac-

Sidhartha was incredible since she had no pre-

ity. “It wasn’t just about copy pasting”. Priya

vious experience in this sector and remembers

calls it a beautiful journey.

him as a person who strikes an excellent chord with the clients, creating a special bond with each one of them. // jodhpur

Jodhpur struck a chord with Pankhuri, quite evident in the 4 projects she did in the city. Even the clients were lovely, she says. “Great rapport with them.” Since Pankhuri had a lot of cultural influence, she could relate to these projects and feel at home in these historic spaces. These projects shaped her confidence and she says they are always special to her.

/ / WORK I N G W I T H L O T US

“I liked the work environment; I liked the freedom to make our own decisions. I like the fact that everybody was heard out. You know, you were made to feel like the project was your baby and that you could speak up. You could really take onus and bring forward your ideas. It wasn’t like it was only one person’s project. The environment was

Vedika trained as a furniture designer from Srishti school of Art and Design, Bengaluru and joined Lotus in June 2010.

great. We were colleagues. We never felt that

/ / L O T US A T 1 0

Ambrish was our boss or anything like that. It

“I would just say “Yay!” and that it is absolutely

was completely open. There was no hierarchy.

lovely. I remember when the new office had

In totality, it was a wonderful environment.

opened at Lado Sarai and how Ambrish and all

VedikaJhunjhunwala p r o j ect d e s i g ne r

were giving speeches on how their 7 years’ of journey had been, so it was really nice and you also felt a part of it. It is amazing that it has been 10 years and it is amazing that I could be a part of it. Little bit only but it just feels great that however little

/ / f i r s t f e w d ay s

“The whole experience with Lotus had been incredible. More than the first few days, I would say it was first love at work; for work. It was a very passionate team who really enjoyed design. They were a new company, after all. Of course, they had done several projects before as a team but with Lotus, it was about proving the name, etc. So the passion, the zest was just incredible. It was good fun.”

you were able to contribute, you gained so much more in return; and great going! I think the story of Lotus and how they got to where they are is very motivational, especially for us when we are on our own.”

Asha studied Fashion Communication at NIFT, New Delhi and joined Lotus in June 2009 for an internship. She later joined back in April 2010 as a full time designer

AshaSairam p r o j ect d e s i g ne r

“I designed that chair!”

One Day, Pankhuri goes shopping and falls in love with a chair she comes across.

Arun Kullu first collaborated with Lotus on the FBar project in 2003. They worked well together since Ambrish and team were adept at space while the products (furniture) that go into the space were handled by him and his wife, Suman. He joined Lotus in the end of 2003 and his first project at Lotus was the Asahi Glass Pavilion.

The next day at work, she tells Kullu about how awesomely designed the chair was....

/ / p e r s o n a l d e s i g n p h ilo s o p h y

“One should do what one is able to finish off well and should be able to execute the idea”

/ / o n t h e lo t u s te a m

/ / m o s t c h a llen g in g p r o j ect s

“Sirpur House and MKM office, because of the

when all of us sit together to discuss, we all

technique (which was never before used) that

individually absorb all the inputs that come in.

was employed for these projects and Meh-

happen, Ankur would take everyone to the Sidhartha and Ambrish would strip the project

Kailash Chandra - contractor

achieve what the intention is. The four of us (Ambrish, Ankur, Sidhartha and I) don’t need to talk to each other to know what

Sukhvir - fabricator

rangarh Museum Shop, where the limitations were in the form of not touching the walls.”

visual aspect of the entire project. down and inch it towards reality. We try to

quality of Kullu ji.”

a s s o ci a te a n d d e s i g n p r inci pa l -

“Everyone has their own strong points and

ment till date.”

“Kullu ji explains everything in a very simple and right manner and never gets angry if you happen to not understand anything at the first go. He will repeat 10 times, if the need be. He is a very patient man. Over the years that we have worked together, he has never lost his cool with me, even if I had done something wrong in a project. And I really appreciate this

ArunKullu f u r nit u r e a n d f i x t u r e s

Ankur is visually strong. When discussions “I was always fascinated by Kullu’s long hanging bag or his green clothes and red shoes, and can never forget his style state-

..and shows him a picture of it on her phone.

is going on because there is a certain level of synergy that is achieved. We stick to a very basic material palette; aiming at achieving a contemporary Indian theme in a subtle manner. Initially, the team took to local contractors, went on site and made decisions on site. Currently, Lotus has built an external team of collaborators who are willing to experiment; still hands-on but the experience is different.”

/ / m e m o r ie s

NATIONAL POLICE MEMORIAL

Public Space

180

The Indian Government decided to initiate a project that resulted in the creation of a memorial which would honor the kith and kin of the police personnel killed in line of duty and the serving police personnel, along the symbolic axis that exists between the chosen site and the Rashtrapati Bhawan, along Shanti Path. a nationwide architectural competition was held to decide on the design of the memorial to be built and the winning entry belonged to Lotus. The site was ideated to cater to three functions. The primary function was of the memorial itself which was a central structure that would be strongly evocative of memory and solemnity. The secondary function adhered to the informational and the ceremonial aspects of the project which would be addressed by the museum and the front lawn respectively. The museum would have on display uniforms, arms and medals with a looped audio-visual presentation on the lives of the police personnel killed

in action. The ceremonial space or the front lawn would cater to the activities of daily flag hoisting and police day functions. The tertiary function was contemplative, met by protective tree rings set in gravel and the Parikrama. The memorial was to be built along the concept of a cocoon with layers of protection, as symbolized by a pair of folded hands in respect. The Lotus entry gained praise for the thoughtful approach and the ideology that defined the very spirit of the police memorial.

The circular space of the memorial is framed by a sandstone or GRC jaaliwork with the Asoka Chakra on the floor

12 9

10 11

2 C l i e n t Home Office, Govt. of India y e a r 2011 Ar e a 25000 sq.m. Loc a t ion Shanthipath, New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

8 16

7 6 3

13 15

3 1

17 2 N

10 M

1. Utility block 2. Entry 3. Ramps 4. Ashoka Chakra 5. Wall of remembrance 6. Parikrama 7. Lotus bond 8. Seating in gravel 9. Protective tree rings 10. Peripheral path 11. Stone seating in slope 12. Toilet block 13. Flag hoisting 14. Lawn for congregation 15. Amphitheatre 16. Parking 17. Main road

Protective rings of trees surround the memorial with the front lawn as the ceremonial zone. A peripheral path and lawns cater to the casual/recreational aspect of the space

A ring of native Delhi trees strengthens the boundary wall of the memorial

An axis defines the arrival with a ramp around the memorial space for parikrama (a path around a significant structure)

View of the memorial area from the ceremonial space (the front lawn) with a glimpse of the Lotus pond

PUNJABI BY NATURE the brief generated by the design team was to capitalise on the Bangalore weather. One of the few cities in India which allows you to create a space that can seamlessly weave an indoor and outdoor experience which is enjoyable through most of the year. All the spaces were designed to spill out into covered, semi-covered and open to sky courtyards.

Food & Beverage

186

C l i e n t Arjun Puri y e a r 2011 Ar e a 750 sq.m. Loc a t ion Bengaluru T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

GLASXPERTS the design of the flagship store for Glasxperts, the first retail initiative of Asahi India Glass Ltd. (AIS) in the architectural glass segment. Glasxperts is a full-service glass solutions brand that brings an integrated approach to glass selection and installation for homes, offices and commercial spaces.

Retail

187

C l i e n t Asahi India y e a r 2011 Ar e a 1500 sq.m. Loc a t ion Gurgaon T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

GAURAV GUPTA

Born out of the duality essayed in Gaurav Guptaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collections of Pret and Couture, the space was conceived as an immersive environment which was sculpted in monochrome.

seem to surreally float within the tight volume and effortlessly create two zones without dividing the space. Handcrafted entirely, there is a constant sense of reveal and discovery as one meanders through this spatial haven. The cast concrete panels and walls, the ceiling suspended racks on one side, and the art nouveau inspired lacquered iron racks on the other, have been beautifully hand forged. The spatial drama is heightened by the sculpted pieces of furniture and artifacts in mild steel and quilted leather. The store reflects a sense of stark honesty in concep-

Retail

188

the concrete walls

tion and execution through its raw materiality with the focal point being the structure and form that aims to echo the cutting edge design philosophy employed by Gaurav Gupta in his merchandise. Built by Build Kraft India with accent pieces by Amjad Khan, Lotus managed to create a space that strikingly entailed Gaurav Guptaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essence.

Exposed ceiling, concrete walls and sculpted furniture bring about a unique spatial composition

C l i e n t Gaurav Gupta y e a r 2012 Ar e a 120 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

4 1. Storage/Pantry 2. Client meeting space 3. Change room 4. Mannequin 5. Shaft for services 6. Cash counter 7. Packing table 8. Main entry

2 6 4

5 0

Sculpted furniture in leather and Mild Steel is set against the concrete panel with an art nouveau inspired iron framed mirror

Form of the furniture piece

Quilted leather adorned the furniture

The frame work of the seating was developed in plywood

Lacquered iron framed mirror is hung from the ceiling to complement the custom designed iron display devices against the cast concrete panel

A curved concrete shell with ceiling suspended mannequins announce the brand name with a custom designed and stylised gate marking the entry corridor

The merchandise is displayed against a monochromatic story of cast in situ concrete

Custom designed hanging devices made of iron which were suspended from the ceiling

COONOOR HOUSE

A vacation house for a family of four was to be created at Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. The design response was aimed at harnessing the maximum advantage of the climate and the site of 3000sq ft. located at an altitude of 1800m.

the blue mountains of Nilgiris covered with lush green estates of tea and coffee, fruit orchards and botanical gardens with a pleasant temperature throughout the year. The roof was envisioned as a skin covering the length of the house (which steps down in section) and opens to the low winter sun on the south side and views of the valley on the east. The form of this pre tensioned roof, inspired by the weave of a basket, emerges from the ground on the other two sides creating a cocooned experience. As the design evolved, the roof was split in two to draw in light to the darker pockets of the house, thereby opening

Residential

198

coonoor lies in

a venue for relationships in scale and shape between the smaller and larger roof to be explored. The inner spatial arena was partitioned by restricting the wall height to 7 feet with glass being extensively used. The entire process of ideation and conceptualization culminated in the creation of a marvelous piece of art nestled in the beautiful hillside landscape Conoor. Set against the picturesque landscape of Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, a vacation house for a family of four was created on a site of 3000sq ft. located at an altitude of 1800m

C l i e n t Coonoor House y e a r 2006 Ar e a 40 sq.m. Loc a t ion Jodhpur, Rajasthan T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

1 3

2 BASEMENT 1. Wardrobe 2. Bed room 3. Washroom

6 5

1 0 1M

2 3

GROUND FLOOR 1. Balcony 2. Bed room 3. Washroom 4. TV/Music room 5. Living area 6. Store 7. Kitchen 0 1M

o n w o r k in g t o g et h e r

ASSO C I A T I O N W I T H LO T US

Manjunath’s intention of being a part of Lotus was not just about presenting structures to support Lotus’ ideas but to be an integral part of the discussions where ideas were discussed and options were looked at, together. This very quality gave Manjunath the right kick to start exploring structures with Lotus and hence, start his association with Lotus. Their first project together was Raas Jodhpur.

Manjunath Kumar

St r u ct u r a l c o n s u lt a nt - r a a s j o d h p u r , c a f e d i va , c o o n o o r h o u s e

“They (Lotus) are good listeners; they know exactly what they want and yet they go dig around for various other options to explore. They might know exactly what to choose but they are prepared to go the extra mile to explore all the available options.” Lotus always exudes a lot of energy. And as a structural engineer working for Lotus, he says it is necessary for him to channelize that energy, rightfully, through the structures he creates so that one doesn’t end up doing structures that are redundant. The real challenge that Manju Nath feels is essaying the ideas of architects and interior designers through structures. An architect or any person from an interior background has the freedom to dream and visualize ideas of buildings but the real task is to get to stand upright on structures, which is dependent on the sizes of the materials. It is a challenge but is merely a part and parcel of the job.

o n w h a t s et s lo t u s a pa r t

“Fresh end thinking, open for new ideas are key factors of Lotus. I have worked with a lot of firms in Delhi and Bangalore, but Lotus has so much of energy. One is open to understand the structural system, which helps in perceiving the building in a different way. One doesn’t simply visualize; the function, the purpose and the need for a structure all play a part When an architect briefs, he briefs the project and then he presents options to dwell upon. The structural engineer presents his structural options and then a best option, in totality, is worked on. There are a variety of options that one gets which is a huge advantage at Lotus. A system in particular is not worked on, but a lot of options are taken up and the best one is chosen from them.”

The sample form of the pre tensioned roof of the house was inspired by the weave of a basket. The roof was envisioned as a skin covering the length of the house and as the design evolved, the roof was split in two to draw light into the darker pockets of the house

Details of the roof truss

The roofed open galley on the first floor of the house

The inner space was a cocooned experience and was partitioned by restricting the wall height to 7 feet with glass being extensively used

a s s o ci a ti o n w it h lo t u s

St r en g t h s

“It is the desire for innovation; the desire to try new things, its desire to add new blood into the company. What I like about Lotus is its ability to do R&D; to innovate.”

L o t u s , in t h e ne x t 1 0 y e a r s

“I would like more and more people to become partners in Lotus. This is the first thing that I hope Lotus would do because for 10 years, it has had only 3 partners. They started with 3 partners and even now, there are 3 partners. I would like to see the number doubled in the next 3-4 years. They should have a track that would allow a fresh employee to know how soon they can become a partner so that it would make a networked company. I would like to see Lotus to go ahead and do their own products, maybe have their own line of furniture, maybe start having their own certified houses; to go up in the value chain rather than being service providers to others.”

Varun Talwar C E O - HR FU N D

“For me, the entrepreneur is the focal point. We look for entrepreneurs who have four values: 1. Truthfulness. 2. Fearlessness. 3. Humility. 4. Compassion. I found these qualities being practised in Lotus, starting at the top. India, by nature, is a fearful society. We have just come out of 1000 years of slavery so we are a young nation. Most of us come from the middle class. Most of us are trained to go and get a job. So I have been able to work with entrepreneurs who have been able to transcend fear. When you transcend fear, you can be experimental and also innovative. So what intrigued me towards Lotus was its ability to go out and experiment and be okay with failures. What I am trying to do at Lotus is to bring some democratic capitalist structures where everybody has a say. We are entering a time in the world where the world will get more and more networked. My contribution to Lotus is to make it less hierarchical and more networked. And I think there is some success there. I think there is a cultural shift that has come in Lotus in the q u a litie s o f g o o d ent r e p r ene u r s h i p

“Design, by nature, is right brain function. What I have been trying to do is bring the left brain into Lotus, by bringing processes. The problem is when it becomes too left brain, and loses its creativity, which is what happens to large corporations generally. Design world will always have this struggle. If you are just 2-3 people, you don’t need to be left brain at all; you can pull it off with your right brain. But when you have 30-40 designers working together, which Lotus currently has, you will have to have a left brain. You have to have a process. There has to be a method to the madness. But if the method becomes too high, then the madness will go down. And that’s where innovation will suffer.”

h i s f i r s t p r o j ect w it h lo t u s

“There isn’t any project that I can claim to be my first project with Lotus. I consider Lotus as my home. I don’t associate words such as project or client with Lotus. Ambrish and Sidhartha are my friends and I don’t consider them, merely, as architects. The first place where Ambrish took me is in Jodhpur: the beautiful Raas Hotel. I still remember the place. It was nothing; just a piece of land. Lotus also tried to optimize the rainwater that ran down into the site.

Farhad Contractor ec o l o g i s t - r a a s j o d h p u r , r a a s k a n g r a

ASSO C I A T I O N W I T H LO T US

“The thing that I find most striking about Lotus, which also happens to be very important, is the relationship that people build here. Secondly, Lotus’ quality of being open to learning new things strikes me as refreshing. I have been working with 15-20 architects/planners over the past 4-5 years but the openness that Lotus has towards learning, understanding, and in wanting to be more creative, is seen nowhere else. It is very encouraging to work with them and I feel this quality of being open and receptive to newer things is the strength of Lotus. Had it been like any other space where people come, work and go back in the evening, I wouldn’t have been too keen to be associated with it, in the first place. When I used to come to Lotus, initially, to talk about ecology, I always thought that whatever I said went above the heads of everyone. I used to stay with Ambrish, at his home. So, sometimes, he used to get all interested and would say to me “No, you do it, we will make this happen. We will do it.” After Raas happened, I went on to work on 2 houses with them. Then I realised that they were actually a bunch of genuinely interested people. They always had something to ask, something new to learn; and were always looking for new ways of doing things. So it is a process and I believe in it. I am not worried about the end result. Once you believe in the process and give your heart and soul to it, it will work

A d v ice

I have given Ambrish and Sidhartha an idea that Farhad shouldn’t be needed in the office after a span of 3-4 years. There should be, instead, people in the office who are capable of developing designs based on ecology and make it stand, because it becomes a question of dependency. And Dependency Syndrome is the worst thing to happen. Why can’t Lotus better themselves at ecology? Maybe my passion is ecology and yours is design. But ecology is an integral part of design.

RAAS KANGRA architecture, planning and

interiors for a fifty room luxury boutique hotel in Kangra, Dharmashala, Himachal Pradesh overlooking the mountains. This project is currently under construction.

Hospitality

208

C l i e n t Kangra Valley Resorts y e a r ongoing Ar e a 10,500 sq.m. Loc a t ion Himachal T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

KRISHI BHAWAN for a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s center under the directorate of agriculture, Govt. of the state of Odisha. This project is currently under construction.

architecture and interiors

Institutional

209

C l i e n t Odisha State Government / Tata Steel y e a r ongoing Ar e a 10,000 sq.m. Loc a t ion Bhubaneswar T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar

KHล J

Public Space

210

The design task entailed the creation of a space that reflected the ideology of Khoj which is based on facilitating a flow of ideas and the freedom to explore without the fear of failure.

khoj is an experimental art laboratory located in Khirki Extension where meaningful dialogues and exchange of information, skills and energy could be fostered. A live space needed to be moulded which would open up architecturally to the local community. The ideation centered on providing inner courtyards, performance spaces and gallery studios, and on developing the space for the residential unit. The issues of circulation, zoning, public and private interaction, multiple modes of functioning, privacy were deliberated upon and were to be dealt with by providing additional devices to stretch the idea of Khoj. The faรงade was planned to

emulate the ongoing activities of Khoj and each surface was planned to act as a potential canvas by providing a skeleton for it. A ramp was provided to allow access to all the spaces, reflecting in its own way the essence of freedom of movement. The material palette was constituted by red sandstone, cement screed, colored cement screed, IPS, brick tiles, Jaisalmer stone, grey terrazzo with white marble chips, brick and grey geucera tiles. The transformation of a space to reflect the visions and dreams and opinions of its inhabitants was, thus, correctly achieved.

The faรงade was planned to emulate the ongoing activities of Khoj and each surface, held up by a structural skeleton, was planned to act as a potential canvas

1 11

6 3

FIRST FLOOR 1. Washroom 2. Kitchenette 3. Library 4. Balcony 5. Programming 6. Courtyard 7. Multifunctional area 8. Finance 9. Cafe 10. Director’s room 11. Media lab 12. Meeting room

7 12 9 4

2 6

GROUND FLOOR 1. Store room 2. Washroom 3. Kitchenette 4. Bedroom 5. Artist’s lounge 6. Courtyard 7. Entrance 8. Road 9. Studio 10. Service entrance

C l i e n t Khoj y e a r 2013 Ar e a 1000 sq.m. Loc a t ion New Delhi T e a m Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, Arun Kullu

7 0

Minimalistic booth seating made of metal and recycled timber and dining chairs made of metal and plywood make up the furniture of the cafe on first floor

The Artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge on the ground floor with retro dining and lounge chairs, a coffee lounge table and large arched windows for natural lighting to enter into them

An inner courtyard that facilitated air movement was provided around which the performance spaces, gallery studios, leisure and work spaces were placed

GMail screenshots of the respective designers working on the current projects in the studio.

The

O T U S Family 2002-2012

A B

Bijender

Chandni Aggarwal Clarisse Maillot

D G

Abhinay Sharma Aditi Jain Adwait Inamdar Ajay Akhil Jindal Akhlaque Ahmad Alina Vadera Amarjit Ambrish Arora Ankur Choksi Ankur Kumar Anuja Anupa Apoorv Kaushik Arpita Ghatak Arun Kullu Asha Sairam Ashish Sahay Awan Ahmed

Deepak Dutt Deepak Sharma Dipti Das Divya

Garima Gupta Gaurav

Harish Chandra Hussain Mehdi

Love Chaudary Lovelina Joshi

P R

M Naushad Navin Jha Navin Kumar Nidhi Aggarwal

Pankhuri Goel Parminder Singh Pasha Pragya Priya Jindal Priyanka Gupta Puneet Gupta

Umakant Kaushik Umesh

Vedika Jhunjhunwala Vijendra Sharma Vikram Vritima Wadhwa

Xabrina Martinez

Yogesh Arya Yogesh Yunus Maniyar

Rajendra Mohanty Ravi Sharma Richa Riddhima Dasot Rohini Rohit Kapur Rupinder Kaur

Kailash Chandra Kamaini Kanika Arora Kanupriya Kapil Karan Kavita Chatola Kristel Sequeira Kulbeer

Mahrooh Basar Mangal Manvendra

Tanya

Saakshi Jaggi Sabari Sahil Chaudary Sakshi Sangeeta Rathi Sanjay Kumar Sarabjit Satish Kumar Shashank Srivastava Shaukat Ali Shikha Gupta Shilpa Bhagchandani Shilpa Suresh Shiv Singh Sidhartha Talwar Smriti Sachdev Suchet

RAAS JODHPUR 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 2012

GOOD EARTH

(on Page 112)

Asia Pacific Interior Design Award (Hotel Space category) Commendation Award for Interior Architecture Hotel Architecture proffessional Holiday Hospitality

Hong Kong Interior Designer Association

2009

Awarded by Asia Pacific Institute of Interior Designers Hong Kong INSIDE World Architecture Festival Barcelona Perspective Global Hong Kong Barcelona World Architecture Festival DFA Grand Award Hong Kong Design Center

2009

(on Page 58)

Best Designed Home Improvement (National level) Best Store Design (National level)

VMRD

recognition

VMRD

RITU KUMAR LABEL 2010

Store Design Commendation - Fashion (National)

Indian Institute of Interior Design

2011

Merit - Fashion Apparel – Speciality Store

VMRD

OVERALL FIRM 2005

2006 2008 2010 2011

Society Interiors Award for outstanding contribution to the field of Interior 2005 - Architecture (Public Spaces) Designer of the Year Winner – “Showcase of Seating System” (Delhi Region) Interior Design Firm of the Year (National level) Design practice of the year 2011

LEVI’S RIVET 2005 2006 2006 2007

2011 2011

VIAVERO 2008 2009

Indian Institute of Interior Design Indian Institute of Interior Design

(on Page 24)

Commendation Award for Interior Architecture

Indian Institute of Interior Design

SILVERGLADES

Indian Institute of Interior Design

2006

‘Architecture + Design’ Magazine Indian Institute of Interior Design Indian Institute of Interior Design

VMRD VMRD Perspective

2005

2008

SHIRO 2011

Indian Institute of Interior Design

(on Page 34)

Best Designed Hospitality Space (North India level)

ROHIT BAL, EMPORIO 2008

‘Architecture + Design’ Magazine

(on Page 26)

Best Designed Hospitality Space (National level)

MAGIQUE

Indian Institute of Interior Design

(on Page 36)

Best Designed Office Space Small (National level)

KHAAJA CHOWK Inside-Outside Magazine

(on Page 132)

Best Designed Hospitality Space (National level) Store of the Year (National level) Interior Design Professional

VIYA HOME 2005

(on Page 36)

Best Designed Retail Space Small (National level) Winner – “Innovative Interior Design” Best Designed Retail Space Small (North Region) Commendation - Innovative Interior

KEYA KAINOOSH 2010

‘Architecture + Design’ Magazine

Indian Institute of Interior Design

(on Page 78)

Best Designed Retail Space Small (National level)

Indian Institute of Interior Design

(on Page 46)

Restaurant with best Ambience

Times Nightlife Awards 2011

(on Page 34)

Commendation – “Innovative Interior Design” (National level) Best Designed Fashion Apparel (National level)

Indian Institute of Interior Design

HAYTA

VMRD

2011

(on Page 130)

Gold - Home Improvement – Speciality Store

VMRD

thank you! images Andre J. Fanthome and various Lotus employees for the cakes and portraits

vector icons Matteo Zlatar, Stephen Robert Hemenway, Daniel Campos, Scott Lewis, Simon Child, Sergi Delgado - from The Noun Project (www.thenounproject.com)

type Kohinoor The Kohinoor Family designed by Satya Rajpurohit of the Indian Type Foundry.

Bariol Bariol designed by atipo. DIAVLO Diavlo designed by Jos Buivenga of Exljbris. VILLA DIDOT Villa Didot designed by Sascha Timplan of Stereotypes. Lobster 1.4 Lobster 1.4 designed by Pablo Impallari. Gandhi Serif Gandhi Serif designed by Librerias Gandhi S.A. De C.V.

Mission Script Mission Script designed by James T Edmondson.