In today’s world, luxury is synonymous with having a space that brings you respite – an abode that offers calm, peace, and a sense of tranquility. Nestled in the quaint neighborhood of Chembur in Mumbai, the city that never stops or sleeps, Estella embodies this philosophy. It’s a place where comfort meets luxury with style while adhering to efficient planning and design principles.
Project Name: Estella
Studio Name: APICES Studio Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Mumbai
Year of Completion: 2023
Area: 5210 Sq. Mtr.
Design Team: Hardik Pandit, Sudhir Thorat, Ashika Salvi
Consultant: Associated Consultant
Client: Shree Krishna Group
Interior Design: ArchiRikitect & Associates
Landscape Design: Mhatre Nursery & Landscape
Special Credit: Kabir Hira, Ahir Consultancy Pvt Ltd
Photography Credit: PIX Studio
Designed by APICES Studio, Estella is an exploration of layers – of meaning, material, and experience. This apartment complex, featuring luxurious 3-bedroom flats, turns heads and leaves a lasting impression from the moment you set eyes on it. The building’s facade is a welcoming sight showcasing classical elements – refined and reinterpreted to suit modern sensibilities. Every detail has been curated and executed cautiously, demonstrating that great design is about small elements working together in harmony.
The brick cladding on the facade brings warmth, setting the tone for the quality of space within. It introduces visual comfort that immediately draws you in. Cornices and fluted panels drawn from classical architecture, punctuate the facade and are thoughtfully stripped down to fit the contemporary aesthetic. This clever facade treatment, breaks up the structural mass into smaller, more approachable sections, humanizing its scale. The clean lines guide the eye smoothly, while the fins and railings add slender vertical accents that complement the building’s sleek and refined appearance. The alchemy of materials and elements on the facade creates a cohesive, timeless and sophisticated look, making the building stand out in the neighborhood.
The massing as a whole, reads like a complete sentence, with a distinct beginning, middle and the end, from bottom to top; with each element contributing to the overall narrative. This careful planning is reflected in every space within.
The journey begins on the stilt floor, which houses the entrance driveway, lobby, fitness centre, and a small parking area. This space is designed to be warm and inviting – allowing the visitor to leave the chaos of the city behind and enter into a tranquil haven. The wider frontage is thoughtfully utilized, ensuring that bedrooms open up to beautiful road-facing views, while service areas are discreetly tucked away toward the rear.
To accommodate parking requirements, the design incorporates three podium floors above the stilt level. These floors are equipped with car lifts, ensuring smooth movement across levels. The column grid has been designed with efficiency in mind, optimizing parking at the podium level while maintaining flexibility for the interior layout of the apartments above.
As you move through the apartments, you encounter the spacious 3-bedroom units, each one thoughtfully designed keeping luxury in mind. Strategic planning is reflected through the layouts, owing to efficient zoning of private and semi-private areas within the homes. Spacious private decks have been provided to each unit, that extend out from the living room, allowing plenty of natural light and ventilation, elevating the living experience. Framing unobstructed vistas of the mighty city, these openings carve out a scoop of personal heaven for the residents. Additionally, the upper floors have the option of combining by doubling up two units into one big lavish villa.
What makes Estella different is that it does not stop at being just a beautiful home, it seeks to define a lifestyle. It does not merely offer luxury in the name of aesthetics but layers it within its many folds of impactful design and planning decisions. By imbibing luxury in its character, it deters from merely emanating it through its appearance. Estella powers everyday living, empowering its residents to pause, rejuvenate, and enjoy the gift of life.
