Synergy Lifestyles
Workspaces I Mumbai, Maharashtra

It is rare to have the opportunity to revisit a project - and this warehouse in the mill area of Kalachowki was first renovated by us in 1997 into a contemporary office design. It was a landmark project then - amongst the first of the industrial projects that converted to offices in a city fast-changing from its industrial roots to a service economy. It optimised the roof, its volume and its potential as a source of light. The skylights ran along the truss and the partitions eluded the roof so that lightness and continuity were the primary virtues.

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Much detailing and colour added value and the project was well publicised and awarded and became one of the turning points in the growth of SJK Architects. More importantly, it was the beginning of a relationship with Sunita Namjoshi of Synergy Lifestyles that would endure 11 wonderful projects together until this building caught fire and had to be practically gutted and rebuilt from the inside. The passage of twenty years perhaps reflects in the journey of our firm - clarity and simplicity are paramount. More subtle detailing and a monochrome palette to celebrate volume and sunlight. In this avatar, the ubiquitous staircase is still the protagonist but the project is perhaps even more honest than its predecessor, ever more transparent and reliant on the craftsmanship of concrete and steel - so as to hide nothing!