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Architects: Portal 92
- Area: 18 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Niveditaa Gupta
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Manufacturers: Saint-Gobain, Soil, Spectrum
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Lead Architects: Aanchal Sawhney, Sagar Goyal, Astha Verma
Text description provided by the architects. In an era fueled by the imperative quest for identity, the cultural phenomenon of fashion can be interpreted as a tool for proclamation of individuality, empowering individuals to diversely sculpt their identities. Quintessentially Indian in its roots, KoAi, is Anugrah Chandra’s label of elevated essentials paying homage to Rajasthan’s traditional hand block printing technique: Dabu.
Resonating with the brands ideology, we aimed at creating a muted backdrop, punctuated and adorned by a repeating modular detail, stamped across the project, much like the Dabu (hand block) prints. These modules take the form of various functional elements, while lending softness and warmth to the textural canvas. This signature elemental language, works as a stitch between the space and the brand itself.
The façade presents itself as a stark white volume sculpted by its voids, harmoniously nestled beneath the shade of a Neem tree. The ‘Ribbon Window’ which extends and wraps around the corner, liberates one from the preconceived sense of a structure, in hopes of not being perceived as ‘Fascist’ and potentially getting ‘Cancelled’. Walking through the chiseled stone entryway, the user is introduced to an island unit bathed in sunlight. The louver detail was intricately crafted to conceal as well as soften the structural components. The natural light filtering through an array of wooden posts caresses the interior space, meticulously choreographed to offer a soothing yet tactile experience.
