The flute glass and the patina-coated metal framework of the doors capture the visitor’s interest right at the outset. The architect puts you through a small test. Hunt for the entrance doors. If you find the sleek handles, you win!
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In this concrete-dominated store, three shallow steps divide the two levels. The upper level is where you’ll find the lounge, the bedroom, the reception, the packing area and a small office
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The living space features everything from cushions and upholstery to accessories
in shades of red. This is one space where you can rest your
feet and admire the stunning crystal chandelier
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The dimensions of the store make it hard to miss the fact that you are beneath the massive stands of Wankhede Stadium. Look closely and you’ll see the dining, the living and the clothing sections at the far end
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A “don’t feign” philosophy is followed at the store. That’s why the bulky pipes that supply water to the stadium were kept intact
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Metal and flute glass went into the creation of this clean-lined rack, designed by Bijoy
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A multifarious range of lifestyle products alleviates the austerity and monolithic appearance of the space
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It took 40 men to get each of the 100-year-old metal cupboards inside the store. Time-worn cupboards holding luxurious silks are a striking example of the old co-existing side by side with the new
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The farthest end of the store accommodates the racks on which unusual home accessories painstakingly collected from all over the world strike a pose
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Industrial chic
January 2007
Text: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Rajeshwar Mande
From a straight-lined look to a more rugged design… the transformation of high-profile lifestyle store Bungalow 8, Mumbai, is impressive. Architect Bijoy Jain… take a bow!
One wintry day nearly a year ago, architect Bijoy Jain received an excited phone call. It was lifestyle store-owner Maithili Ahluwalia for whose family the prolific architect had worked before. “I have discovered a new space at Wankhede Stadium,” Maithili told Bijoy exultantly. “You ought to see it.” The reclusive architect obliged… as usual. For Bijoy, who had scoured Mumbai with Maithili for more than a year and a half in quest of that “perfect” place, this was just another site visit.
When Bijoy and Maithili visited the location — a space beneath the stands of Wankhede Stadium — they were greeted by a drab, congested volume. Office to a production house, the 4,000-square-foot area had the usual office trappings — a false ceiling, white walls, ceramic floor tiles and innumerable partitions, walls and panels. The genius in Bijoy spotted ten positive elements in a site where you and I would have spotted none — or only one. Though there’s no doubt that Maithili’s eccentricity had a huge role to play in opting to have Bungalow 8 begin its second innings under a stadium.
“Let’s not hide where we are. Let’s not embellish. Let’s not glamourize it,” were the three things Bijoy told Maithili regarding his plans for the store. “Bijoy has the rare ability to work with what he has. He builds on it,” says Maithili. “He does not believe in glamourizing spaces needlessly. Neither does he pretend that we are in London or New York… but rather in Mumbai and under the stands of the stadium. The strong industrial quality that Bijoy suspected (quite rightly) the site had, attracted him to this project. I wonder if he would have agreed to design Bungalow 8 otherwise!” laughs Maithili.
What Maithili wanted of the design was an open-plan setting. She asked Bijoy to treat the space as a home and imagine how she would walk through different areas of her own home. She was looking for a store that would emit warmth and have a soul. “There had to be a juxtaposition of the old and the new through materials that would accentuate the masculinity of the stadium and the feminine qualities of the accessories and furniture,” explains Maithili. Bijoy wove the brief deeply into the new space (to the extent of calling the project “Maithili’s Residence”) and structured the layout and the materials around it.
Rip, rip, rip… that’s what the architect did for the first few days. The false ceiling came down to reveal the pleated ceiling, courtesy the stands above. Next, the walls and the ceiling were sandblasted to remove the paint thoroughly and expose the natural grain of the rough concrete. As the structure was sound, only water and termite proofing were required. The client and the architect were determined to stay true to the old structure. Therefore, they retained the water pipes which ran through sections of the space, the pealing patina ceiling at the entrance as well as the exposed brick walls in some spaces.
To heighten the industrial flavour, cement was chosen as the flooring material. As Bijoy did not want the space to be ruled by roughness, smooth IPS was used on the walls. Its sheen contrasts well with the roughness of the ceiling. To alleviate the solidity of concrete and let daylight in, flute glass within oxide-coated metal frames, was put up as the entrance wall. The glass wall runs the length of the store, camouflaging the entrance doors with their sleek and barely discernable metal handles. The same materials are used for different purposes across the store to maintain a healthy resonance. Therefore you’ll spot flute glass and metal again, this time in the display racks specially designed by Bijoy. Simple and non-fussy, they let the products take centrestage.
The softer, feminine side of the store came into being when an Belgian interior consultant teamed up with Bijoy and Maithili. Their quest for old pieces of furniture that would blend into a modern-day environment took them to flea markets across the country. “The furniture was bought for its form, cultural elements and texture. We looked through pieces that were not over the top. At the end of the day the furniture was only a backdrop for the accessories,” says Maithili.
You’ll find that lovely rugged furniture, distinguishes various spaces (read different areas of a home) at the store. A 1920s Victorian desk in wood, brass and glass forms the reception and cashier’s table. Next to it is an old Godrej filing cabinet where the products are packed. In the dining area, exquisite tableware is displayed over an assemblage of Baroque tables with unusual legs. Weather-beaten iron chairs that go with the tables heighten the drama. The bathroom area is marked by a glass console — a reproduction of an old design, just like the sink-in Victorian bathtub nearby.
Remember those days when every home had to have a “showcase”? You’ll see some interesting ones here… two wood and glass pieces, which were sourced from a Gujarat home and resemble the cake, pastry and bread display units that you find in Mumbai’s Irani restaurants. These units display fine jewellery and exotic crockery. The show-stealers, however, lie in the bedroom — two 100-year-old metal cupboards sourced from an old ship.
What gives Bungalow 8 an almost-theatrical feel — or as Maithili puts it, “makes it feel like home” — is the lighting design. Bungalow 8 keeps clinical white lights at bay and uses soft yellow halogen lighting instead. Look out for the angled 20s lamp at the cashier’s desk, a contemporary crystal chandelier in the living space and old lamps from bazaars suspended over the “showcase” area. The architect knew that the 20-foot-long dining table would attract a lot of attention because of its size. Therefore, two contemporary versions of a chandelier were specially designed for this space. The fixtures are made of simple fluorescent tubes called “pilleniums”, attached to copper holders.
I more than agree with Maithili when she tells me that these fixtures represent Bungalow 8 in a nutshell. They are cold, straight-lined and very masculine, but their glow is soft, warm — and decidedly feminine. I also think that there are very few practicing experimental architects and Bungalow 8 was created by one of these. But then, I would also have to admit… there are very few clients who’d tell their architect, “Go blow your mind… I’ll pay for it!”
Concept
The concept is three fold. Firstly, to let the space have its individuality and not cover its shortcomings with cosmetic changes. Secondly, to create not a store but rather a home with warmth and soul. And lastly, the store had to showcase both, the old and the new, the masculinity of the stadium and the feminine qualities of the accessories and furniture.
Materials
Entrance: Flute glass within patina-coated doors and frames
Flooring: Cement
Walls and ceiling: Sandblasted concrete and IPS in some areas
Display racks: Metal and flute glass
Fact File
Project: Bungalow 8
Client: Maithili Ahluwalia
Location: Churchgate, Mumbai
Architect: Studio Mumbai
(Bijoy Jain Associates)
Lighting design: Studio Mumbai
(Bijoy Jain Associates)
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‘Understated opulence’ is the first impression that Bungalow 8 gives. Spread over two levels, the first landing (seen here) displays luxurious cushions and artefacts
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