INDIA'S BEST COMMERCIAL SPACES 2019

BUILDING CONVERSATIONS

- Tina Thakrar

WORKPLACE IN A WAREHOUSE

by Studio Bipolar

This old 1960s era warehouse space in New Delhi’s Okhla Industrial Area gave the architects a strong foundation to build on. Like many of the spaces in the area, lying vacant and abandoned under tin sheds, the project site came with dormant advantages just waiting to be explored. An asbestos roof supported by angular trusses and 14-inch thick exposed brick walls served as the shell of the workspace and studio of a creative agency engaged in film production. It was this structure that formed the crux of the design.

Two more original features were present here — a large mezzanine covering almost two-thirds of the space that was demolished to make way for a smaller one with maximum viewing angles; and a two-inch thick wall, which was removed to open the space up horizontally and vertically. The concept of the project was simple: ‘No visual obstructions, one space’.

Once the mezzanine was lowered, the designers capitalised on the high ceiling to bring in abundant natural light through 15ft high arched brick windows on one side of the studio. In the evenings, eclectic light fittings and blazing neon signs illuminate the warehouse. For the designers, the main goal was to stick to a modern yet industrial aesthetic that fit in with the other warehouses in the area, while also standing out for being sensibly reused and adapted.

PORTALS TO THE PAST

by Essajees Atelier

The architect’s idea for this space was to transform the original beauty parlour into a simple office with a rich material palette. However, a surprise discovery derailed the original plan and put in place a new, unique one that has come to define this office of a 75-year-old shirt company.