With the English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis in Pune, Opolis Architects had to come up with a plan that would accommodate classrooms, living areas and public spaces for the students, while making full use of the 20,000 sq ft area at hand. The most obvious ingenuity of the design team, led by Rahul Gore and Sonal Sancheti, is of space-management. The Symbiosis institution’s façade, slathered in white aggregate plaster, sports an impetuous arrangement of windows, making the structure look like assembled blocks. The interiors are modern and decidedly austere, but with flashes of purple and the atrium is an august marvel with its uneven staircases and a good mix of natural and artificial light.
