Designed for the Mumbai-based real estate developer mogul, the Godrej South Estate Experience Centre is located in the heart of New Delhi. According to the client brief, the experience centre has been conceptualised to have a lasting impact on the visitor.
Typology: Experience center + Show Apartment
Name of Project: Godrej SouthEstate, South Delhi
Location: South Estate, Okhla, New Delhi
Name of Client: Godrej Properties
Name of Client’s Firm: Godrej Properties Limited
Contact Person: Mr. Rohit Mohan and Ms.Lipika Jain
URL: https://www.godrejproperties.com/
Principal Architect: Rachna Agarwal, Founder and Design Ideator, StudioIAAD
Design Team: Rachna, Pooja& Sanket
Site Area (sq ft & sq m): sq ft / sq mtr
Built-Up Area (sq ft & sq m): 8643 sq ft / 802.961 sq mtr
Completion Date: 2019
Photographer: Studio Noughts n Crosses |Andre J Fanthome
Architect for the project: Experience Center – STUDIOIAAD
It impresses and captivates while also communicating the essence of the project. Studio IAAD was asked to complete the project within a stringent time limit of three months, and the spatial constraints required a flexible approach. At the core of this experience, the centre is a pièce de résistance created with the aspiration of creating a sense of awe amidst visitors while ensuring that the ensemble could be reused effectively in future projects.
The design process draws inspiration from the beauty and balance in nature and melds sustainable thinking and knowledge of the renewable and natural material palette resulting in enriching spaces. A seamless layout transitions the visitors from one space to another: the deck lounge, model experience, audiovisual experience, show apartment, customisation gallery and discussion lounge. The end-users witness a wondrous journey from the understated to opulent, engaging them every step of the way.
Considering the time constraints, the emphasis has been on creating a singular, focal structure that can augment this area’s grandeur. To emulate a ‘larger than life’ experience, a semipermeable curtain has been designed with an array of sleek MDF plates that are held together delicately, seemingly floating in the air. The modules are assembled to form a curved volume and house the physical model of the property and the audiovisual zone. A sense of openness permeates the curtain structure and harmoniously balances the enclosed nature of the spaces within. Its vertical volume lends a unique dimension and enhances the sheer scale of the structure. The porous exoskeleton of the architectural envelope piques the customer’s curiosity while welcoming them to engage with the space.
Curved plates work as constituent building blocks of the curtain, staggered at two levels, providing fluidity to the visual appeal. The modules are painted in two contrasting colours, providing a sense of depth to the structure. This is further accentuated through smart lighting design. The lighting scheme creates an ‘architectural chandelier’ that commands attention with its imposing yet graceful presence. Approximately 170 small aperture narrow beam downlights visually mimic a pearl necklace of illumination around the feature. Lustrous flooring grounds the space; the lit-up structure’s visual impact and reflection set the stage for visual poetry. A muted and inviting colour palette of grey and white with gold accents provides richness and opulence to the room.
The design intends to create an experience for the visitors with touches of a biophilic design approach to establish a connection with nature, creating a series of spaces that stir emotion and redefine the design brief. Furthermore, the magnetic charisma of this structure allows the visitors to understand the tonality of the brand and its services intrinsically. Remaining visible at all times in its utter glory, the persona of the architectural envelope forms a lasting impression on the mind of the visitor indulging in the space’s environment.
