Location: Mumbai, India.

Architect: Studio PKA.

The Loft is a multi-functional office space located in South Bombay, India’s leading art district. The space is situated on the fourth floor of a 100-year-old Victorian era building and was designed to celebrate the heritage structure’s innate tactility and structural integrity. The design approach focused on unearthing and discovering the space’s potential, rather than a set mandatory approach, to respect, retain, and celebrate the spirit of the place. The studio is envisioned as a liveable design solution that breaks the mould of office interiors by repurposing the function of a space and bringing people together. The design seeks to achieve a functional, aesthetic yet scalable solution that provides an easily adaptable framework to satisfy all parameters. The space is divided into four distinct areas – the studio, the service block, the front office, and the client zone – with breakout spaces that encourage the team to “live the space” rather than stay confined to a particular area. The intermingling of disparate spaces is achieved by the process of “de-layering” or opening up walls of areas that would have otherwise been boxed-in and served isolated functions, hence reducing the load on the structure and ensuring a visual connect. The design uses lightweight and cost-effective materials such as cement blocks and boards, wood, metal, and stone, which stay true to the raw tactile nature of the form that complements the essence of the place. The inherent character is retained and accentuated as surfaces beneath superficial layers of paint and plaster are revealed. The Loft is a dynamic environment that recognizes the spirit of the place and reaches out to the city beyond.

Photo credit: Deepshikha Jain, Sameer Chawda.