As part of our first year end review, we take a look at the top architecture, design and art stories from 2019. These have been carefully selected from our previous editions on the basis of their quality, creativity, originality, innovation, sustainability and social impact.
Waste Cloth Becomes The Star Attraction At This Café In Kottayam - Teaseme Cafe by Wallmakers
A wafer-thin solution generated from 'Clothcrete' partitions in order to compliment a tight space that is nestled away in a cramped locality. This renovated café is located in the heart of Kottayam city in Kerala. A project, that posed as a challenge in design innovation due to its cramped locality and space crunch, that is flanked by commercial settlements on all sides.
A Modern Day Powerhouse of Design - TDC Interview with architect and designer Kristina Dam
Kristina Dam is an architect, graphic designer and founder of Kristina Dam Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark. Her unique style finds a striking blend of art and interior design as portrayed through furniture, art prints, illustrations and sculptures. A powerhouse in design today, Kristina Dam shed some light on the importance of art being affordable, minimalism and her approach to design development.
This holiday retreat is the perfect getaway! - Villa Charao by Studio Momo
The 3,000-square-foot house features three bedrooms, a living room, a semi-covered dining room, kitchen, and a staff-room with a separate studio cottage. The client, being a couple, wanted a second home and more importantly a space to reflect a comforting, relaxed aesthetics that would be simpatico with the holiday-vibe of the region.
Dance of Images - Studio Chitrakoothu
ChitraKoothu is a collective of artists, writers and directors registered as an independent company. Its office set in Chennai, the studio at present produces animation films for advertising, online promotions that includes writing, designing and directing films in-house. The studio is also home to independent film and projects.
Depicting the power of ancient Indian philosophy through a distinct contemporary aesthetic - Yantr by KOY
Steeped in Indian philosophy and craftsmanship, Yantr is a collection of curated objects that bring alive the power of ancient Indian philosophy with a distinctly contemporary aesthetic. Translating from Sanskrit to mean “talisman”, this whimsical assortment of objects brings the sublime divine to quotidian objects.
Illustrating The City Of Dreams - Illustrations by Derek Dsouza
'Living In Mumbai’ is an ongoing series of illustrations that aims to encapsulate the beauty of Mumbai’s suburban life in all it’s honesty.
Re-Defining Places of Worship - Basuna Mosque by Dar Arafa Architecture
The Basuna Mosque is located in the hot & arid village of Basuna, Sohag, Egypt, over a site amidst a noisy, dusty and densely constructed area with encroaching residential buildings, a cemetery, cattle frequently moving back and forth on the road and a weekly makeshift small market right outside the main entrance of this place of worship posed a major challenge.
"At kalakaarihath, we work with our hands!" - Kalakaarihaath: The Skilled Hands
A Bombay based design studio working in diverse design disciplines impacting space. The designs and creatives are inspired from traditional hand crafts of India among many other things.
Hyper-real Paintings That Are Often Mistaken As Real Images - Artwork by Parag Sonarghare
Originally from Nagpur, Parag Sonarghare is an artist whose work has been displayed and collected in numerous exhibitions and museums around the world. His work portrays the human body as an experience in its ordinary and imperfect self, through a seamless blend of performance and painting that is detailed to the extent that it exceeds all limitations.
Blending Modern Topical Design and Traditional Architecture - The Skew House by Thought Parallels Architecture
Spread over an acre of land, this house depicts a dialogue of modern tropical design amalgamated with traditional architecture. The design of the house utilizes the extents of its plot exceedingly well by a planning scheme that spreads out convincingly spearheaded by a brief to create distinctive spaces.
A Modern Trendsetter - The Digi-Collaborative Office by ABM Architects
ABM architects create a young and collaborative working environment, to keep pace with the client’s transformation, and cater to its new age users. DB Corp is the largest selling newspaper company in India and the fourth largest in the world. When ABM was hired to design a new, creative office space for them, the company was in the process of transforming into a leading digital media company as well.
Rethinking Sustainability - TDC Interview with Architect Vinu Daniel
A pioneer of architecture and design that is not only sensitive but also a blend of art and innovation that stands out through a distinct character of its own. We asked Vinu Daniel questions about his formative years, practice and how it has evolved over the years.
Toy as Architecture, Architecture as Toy - Fairlyland Playscape by Groundwork Architects
In 2016, Groundwork Architecture, Hong Kong embarked on an extensive research on Playgrounds for the Hong Kong Government. They began exploring where this new knowledge would take them. Toy as Architecture, Architecture as Toy, is a series of project where they test the boundaries that separates architecture and play.
Celebrating the beauty of imperfection - Claymen by Aman Khanna
These claymen figure sculptures emerge from a careful observation of the common man and his dilemmas. They are peaceful, contemplative and quiet. While going through their own existential crises they are mere witnesses to the fact that “Man is losing his humanity and becoming a thing amongst the things he produces.”
Amidst Delhi's Pollution Woes, Are Cleaning Towers And Drones The Way Forward? - Aura by Studio Symbiosis
The year also marked our first unbuilt publication.
“Aũra” relates to distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place. In Greek and Latin, it means breath, and this is what we are looking for to have the residents of city of Delhi, being able to breathe clean and pure air.