The Loft | Redefined Office

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

THE LOFT | REDEFINED OFFICE

Studio PKA

ARCHITECTS
Studio Pka

PHOTOGRAPHS
Niveditaa Gupta

AREA
2100 Ft²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Mumbai, India

CATEGORY
Offices, Renovation

Text description provided by architect.

South Bombay or SoBo - as it is affectionately called - arguably is India’s leading art district that exudes a character that is reminiscent of yesteryear, yet very much part of the present.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

Labeled as a “museum of architecture”, the area is an expanse of culture and heritage with an eclectic blend of styles – Neo-Classical, Gothic, Victorian, and Art Deco - coupled with a flair for the contemporary - that corroborates the unique spirit and aesthetic of the place.

The architecture and design house wanted to land a studio space, within the district, which would be conducive to its sensibilities - a space with a strong affinity for natural light, one that would be easily accessible by public transit, and could also respond to its needs.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

With Victoria Terminus to the East, galleries, museums to the South, and sprawling maidans to the West, the office falls neatly in the contextual and cultural sweet spot – effectively allowing the studio to be part of and contribute to this collective sense of an urban cultural identity amidst a resurgent artistic precinct.

The space, a part of a heritage structure, was acquired with the windows boarded up, the wooden columns retrofitted with metal bracings, and non-Load bearing brick walls enclosing and segregating zones from one another. 

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

Therefore, the need for a critical response to the inherited space, an honest reflection of the context, and a pragmatic functional design order would be true to the space at hand.

DESIGN APPROACH AND IDEOLOGY

Layers: Of Time, Discovery and Anticipation.

Located along the heritage mile of SoBo, on the 2nd floor of a 100-year-old Victorian-era building, the studio space explores the innate tactility and highlights the structural integrity of the heritage structure.

A conscious effort was made to rigorously explore, live and breathe the space so that the process of “peeling away” layers and exposing the natural character of the space followed simple acts of pausing, taking a couple of steps back, and moving forward again - akin to a rhythmic staccato.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

The idea of unearthing and discovering, rather than a set mandatory approach, was adopted not only to respect, retain and celebrate the spirit of the place but also to respond to the myriad experiences the space could possibly offer.

Natural light, ventilation (virtually non-existent in office spaces in the urban sphere), and the objective of utilizing the various vantage points to the fullest were of utmost importance while designing the space.

Accentuated by the sheer volume, the unapologetic tactility, and the visual connection with SoBo outside and between the spaces within - the space elicits an emotional response that evokes interstitial moments of reflection, discovery, and presence.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

In effect, the space has embodied an inextricable layer of time that revels in its ability to intermingle with disparate components of distinct eras.

EXPLORATIONS: OF RECYCLING & RE-USING

While the studio may have moved from its previous space - on the 4th floor of the very same building - The Loft remained an intrinsic and inextricable part of the studio’s DNA.

THE LOFT | REDEFINED

takes the concept of Adaptive Re-Use a step further by recycling elements and materials of the original studio space - signifying the task of carefully dismantling, re-using, and ultimately re-purposing the existing components of the design.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

This challenging yet gratifying process helped breathe life into an intervention that would not only be fresh but also familiar.The tactility stays true to the raw, unkempt, and stark nature of the space by retaining the inherent character; revealing surfaces beneath superficial layers of paint and plaster; and re-cycling elements such as discarded doors, salvaged from demolished buildings within the city, and breathing new life into them.

Limiting the introduction of new materials, that was lightweight as well as cost-effective – cement blocks and boards, wood, hollow metal sections, and stone – complements rather than detracts from the essence of the place. Glass, on the other hand, acts as an interesting departure and counterpoint to the roughness of textures that brings forth dimensions of transparency and depth.The transformation of the space alludes to a journey through time – remembering the past, living the present, and looking out to the future.

The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta
The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta

The studio has been envisioned as a multi-functional and flexible design solution.One that pushes the boundaries of conventional workspaces - where collaborative sessions, workshops, and exhibitions can be held, bring forth a new discourse within the fraternity, and bridge the gap between students and professionals. The Loft is a poetic expression wherein the creation and the nature of the existing structure are allowed to take the reins and drive the design forward.


The Loft | Redefined Office
© Niveditaa Gupta


The Loft | Redefined Office
Section AA
The Loft | Redefined Office
Section HH
The Loft | Redefined Office
Section CC
The Loft | Redefined Office
Section KK


The Loft | Redefined Office
Plan - Upper Level
The Loft | Redefined Office
Plan - Lower Level


The Loft | Redefined Office
Exploded View
The Loft | Redefined Office
Isometric
The Loft | Redefined Office
Context