This office was built to represent the owners. In that sense, it had to be designed like a home, just with all the office requirements added in. Even when it is formal, the Samarth Office looks not like a stifling space built for impersonal interactions, but a calming expanse that will allow for an easy flow of discussions. In terms of requirements, the penthouse space had to have “a main (owner’s)cabin that had to have a formal area and an informal lounge; connections between levels; links between inside and outside; and integration of greenery into the internal environment,” states the Studio Lagom team. The designers worked within these expectations but infused their own sensibilities to good measure.
The material choices and selection of hues tilted towards the sublime, which has meant a lot of timber, a solid degree of veneer (a favourite element of the designers), the use of both Kota and Kadappa stone, pastel furniture set-ups, and grey tones enhanced by a superb mirror polish. The reception section is unforgettably beautiful. The spatial sumptuousness of this double-heighted section takes over from the first step in.
The reception desk sits beneath a wood panelled staircase, party to the pleasantness of a small water body beneath the stairs, and the sights and sounds of the reception lounge. The latter is a plush space populated by comfortable cushions and a lovely coffee table. But the pièce de résistance is a fantastic chandelier looking down on everything – “The installation feature, an overlapping collage of weathered steel quadrangles of varying dimensions and heights, has concealed lighting for added effect,” states the team. And beyond the double heighted windows is the spectacular sight of a vertical garden that has been pruned to occupy the building duct. The master cabin sits at an elevation and basks in the skylight-lit charms of an internal garden as well as the natural beauty of a connected terrace lounge. On the upper level are the executive staff areas, guestroom and conference room.
By intelligently putting to use the best of lounge-cum-spa design features in a 6,000 sq ft space, this office just refuses to follow convention.
