When Mahek Lalan first stepped inside the 1,500 sq ft duplex apartment that was to be his next project, he was enchanted by its double-height volumes, semi hexagonal bedroom balconies and abundance of sunlight. “It almost didn’t feel real,” recalls the Founder and Principal of Mumbai-based SML Architects about the top-floor apartment with three bedrooms in Navi Mumbai’s Belapur. Its architecture, executed in the late 1990s, was a departure from the Maximum City’s matchbox-sized spaces. And for the architect, it was an opportunity to rewrite the (design) rulebook.
Though there were upsides, the interior — composed of a living room, a kitchen and three bedrooms — was dated, and the layout lopsided. Mahek recognised that the architectural equilibrium could only be achieved by way of structural changes. What followed was an exercise in additions and subtractions: redundant walls were knocked off and layouts were optimised. In a bid to invite natural light and cross-ventilation, Mahek pulled down the original concrete staircase, replacing it with a light and open metal stairway that lets light through.
Bu hikaye Elle Decor India dergisinin June - July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Elle Decor India dergisinin June - July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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