Godrej South Estate Experience Centre by Studio IAAD
The Godrej South Estate Experience Centre for Godrej properties ltd. has been designed for the Mumbai-based real estate developer Mogul in the heart of New Delhi.
The brief is centred around conceptualising a space that has an instant and lasting impact on the visitor - to impress and captivate, while also communicating the essence of the project. An astringent time limit of three months and the spatial constraints required a flexible approach. The designed structure at the heart of the space was created with the aspiration of creating a sense of awe amidst visitors while ensuring that the ensemble could be reused effectively in future projects.
This sense of rustic simplicity and understated elegance makes the store one of its kind. The traditional craft of bamboo and cane has been used mainly for outdoor furniture, baskets, and smaller products. The flexibility and strength of the cane gave an opportunity to use the material to create a contemporary form of an arch to create display racks, furniture, and lighting for the store.
Taking inspiration from the beauty and balance found in nature, the design process has combined sustainable thinking and knowledge of the renewable and natural material palette to build enriching spaces. The journey of the visitor is seamless as it transitions from one space to another; namely the deck lounge, model experience, audiovisual experience, show apartment, customization gallery and discussion lounge. The warm colour palette of grey and white is welcoming, the accents in gold lend richness and opulence to the room.
The curved plates that perform as the constituent building blocks of the curtain are staggered at two levels, imparting a sense of fluidity to the form. The modules have been painted in two contrasting colours to provide the structure with a sense of depth, which is further accentuated through smart lighting design. The lighting intent was to create an 'architectural chandelier' of sorts that commands attention with its imposing yet graceful presence. Nearly 170 small aperture narrow beam downlights create a visual mimicking a pearl necklace of illumination around the feature.
Project: The Godrej South Estate Experience Centre
Location: South Estate, Okhla, New Delhi
Design House: Studio IAAD
Principal Architect: Rachna Agarwal
Photography: Studio Noughts n Crosses, Andre J Fanthome
Gallery: