See how the fort-like head office of Archohm in India reflects the firm’s ‘mad and fun’ design philosophy.
April 17th, 2013
c – 28 c is Archohm design studio’s head office in India. Located on a triangulated plot that’s flanked on one side by a mosque, industrial factories on the other and a large slum development on the third, the fort-like building effectively manages to keep the thick city conditions out, allowing the firm’s ’mad and fun’ design philosophy to flourish freely within.
Photography:
At a towering height of 10 metres, Archolm’s Corten steel entrance creates an intimidating first impression, but its revolving nature and access through a ramp, is meant to symbolise the continuity of the outer street into the atrium says the firm. A moat augments the medieval-modern dialogue, with a revolving bridge connecting the main studio to the front garden.
Photography: Humayun Khan
The main building is divided into five components, with each defined and exaggerated through the use of distinctive materials – concrete, glass, brick, stone and metal – while bearing in mind climatic, contextual and functional requirements.
Photography: André J Fanthome
The main studio faces north and is wrapped in glass, with the glazed facade drawing in diffused light to promote optimum working conditions. The identity of the different sectors within the studio are distinguished by colour, while the transparent glass facade houses the files, documents, physical models and material samples of every department, resulting in a dynamic collage that represents life at Archolm.
Photography: André J Fanthome
Large circular cutouts connect the floors vertically, and each comes with its own fun feature, such as a pole or slide.
Photography: André J Fanthome
A robust rotunda in brick houses all services including the electrical substation and water works; and at its rooftop is a circular amphitheater designed to accommodate 100 people.
Photography: Humayun Khan
The southern face is situated behind a three-metre thick stone wall, which is hollowed at various levels to accommodate glass-walled meeting rooms, each with its own texture and style. These face the main studio, lending a sense of transparency to the office layout.
Photography: Humayun Khan
Photography: André J Fanthome
The metal roof of the atrium rises three floors high, extending itself into a metal box. A badminton court resides here and also doubles up as an exhibition and lecture space when required.
Photography: André J Fanthome
Last but not least, the triangular section in concrete (it gets its shape by virtue of the plot) contains boutique studio guest rooms in the basement with their own open-air theatre. An orange boardroom on the first floor features a triangular concrete table at its centre, a feat of engineering due to its extremely cantilevered design. The terrace contains a swimming pool, and beyond that lies a garden that overlooks a large, double height cafeteria featuring bare concrete walls, a glass roof and terracotta floors.
Photography: André J Fanthome
At the centre of the atrium entrance stands an abstract metal sculpture, christened ’the hand’. Seen in its shadow, it is a reflection of Le Corbusier’s ’Hand’, welcoming visitors to Archohm’s philosophy of mad, fun but meaningful design.
Archohm
archohm.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Sub-Zero and Wolf’s prestigious Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) has celebrated the very best in kitchen innovation and aesthetics for three decades now. Recognising premier kitchen design professionals from around the globe, the KDC facilitates innovation, style and functionality that pushes boundaries.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the regions, architects and those interested in the built environment are pooling their knowledge to help affect change. Jan Henderson introduces us to the Regional Architecture Association and what it does.
JEB International is not only the leader in partition systems & operable walls but their experience has seen them develop some of the most beautiful architectural finishes in projects throughout the world.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
We spoke with George Fleck, Vice President and Global Brand Leader of W Hotels, about the intermingling of hotel and hospitality design trends.
London-based Carmody Groarke and Paris-based TVK have been announced as winners of a milestone competition for the new Bibliothèque nationale de France conservation centre.
Extrapolating the typology of farmhouse architecture, Cameron Anderson Architects (CAARCH) has drawn on the local architecture of Mudgee in both form and materiality to deliver a surprising suite of buildings.
Wood Marsh, a practice that spans 40 years, has been the first to design many of Melbourne’s landmark infrastructure projects – including the monumental noise walls along the Eastern Freeway (the first non-building to receive the Victorian Architecture Medal), Eastlink, the Geelong bypass and the pedestrian bridge at the west end of Bourke Street. The […]