From Naga textiles to Channapatna lacquerware, Khosla Associates highlights work by talented design studios from across the country at greenpark Bengaluru.
When legacy hospitality brand greenpark approached AD100 architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand (Khosla Associates) to up the design quotient of their upcoming Bengaluru hotel, the firm took it up as an opportunity to showcase the work of India’s design studios through a curated approach. “Our clients had inherited an empty building shell (intended for a hotel) and our brief was to design the interiors of a 160-key hotel on an India Modern theme. Instead of taking a cliched direction to the theme, we questioned the very core of what the term means in today’s context,” says Khosla.
Located in south Bengaluru’s tony JP Nagar, greenpark Bengaluru is slated to open later this January. Walk inside and the first thing that catches your eye is the voluminous vaulted roof that runs 130 feet long and 30 feet tall along the linear north periphery of the lobby. The vault is shingled in layers of plywood and was crafted in collaboration with local studio SFA Works.
Another arresting element in the lobby is the 14-foot-long fluid reception counter clad in brass and Banswara marble that sensuously floats against a large bookshelf. Composed of walnut wood and polished cement, the bookshelf is peppered with curated design objects from across the country, ranging from sculpture and framed graphic art to India-inspired books. Clusters of mid-century seating provide comfortable areas for pause in the lobby while double-height windows connect the indoors to outdoors. Natural light is further enhanced by a series of ceiling and wall light fixtures with brass tubes that criss-cross each other at differing levels, terminating into elegant glass globes. Two dramatic biophilia walls in the all-day dining restaurant sport metal racks with terracotta planters, reinforcing the brand language of greenpark.
“We have intentionally focussed on contemporary design studios working effectively with the craft of a region. There are pieces with bone inlay work from Jodhpur, wood marquetry from Mysore, lacquerware from Channapatna, textiles and cane from Nagaland, carpet-making from Jaipur, papier-mâché from Kashmir to name a few,” says Khosla.
Case in point is an 18-foot-high, hand-tufted wall rug inspired by the KR flower market in Bengaluru. The rug—designed by graphic designer Tania Singh Khosla and manufactured in Mirzapur by Jaipur Rugs—depicts a dramatic top view of the flower-sellers with their circular baskets of brightly coloured marigold and jasmine garlands. Drawing from a cubist rug, the carpet juxtaposes elements from maps and architectural details of city market. Another design detail is the communal table created in collaboration with Vayam Collective, who worked with toy manufacturers in Channapatna to create clusters of colourful turned wood lacquerware legs to support the fluid shaped walnut tabletop. Casting light on the table is a statement pendant light fixture by AnanTaya made of banana leaf paper.
The mid-century language and colour scheme continues in the rooms. “A lot of thought was invested in re-looking at the essentials of a business hotel room. We thus, did away with closed cupboards favouring an open cupboard scheme and eliminated a standard desk and chair and introduced a sofa and worktable instead,” says Khosla. The rooms were brought alive by contextual artwork by TSK Design who did a complete rebrand of greenpark hotels. The bold and versatile branding picks up on the recurring circular forms in the architecture and interior elements. Circular graphic artworks extend the theme of the flower market where jasmine and marigolds reappear as embellish on the hairdos of women. Graphic mid-century carpets add further pops of colour. “We were keen to reduce our carbon footprint in the building, so the fitout of all rooms has been done in a local carpentry and metal workshop just a few kilometres from the site. I believe that this was a simple yet important choice to make in being sustainable,” adds Khosla.
By Prachi Joshi
22 January 2023
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https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/this-bengaluru-hotel-celebrates-contemporary-indian-craftsmanship/
