Gallery Odyssey in Mumbai was once bland and uninspiring; it was then transformed into an open, versatile space by design firm Urban Studio. A bank of windows on the rear façade brought in light but was not suitable to a gallery setting. The biggest obstacle, were two rows of massive columns with large bases. The columns cut up the room visually. Urban Studio invented a bank of glowing, rotating and revolving cuboids to reconfigure spaces and situate art. The columns were screened off and wrapped with ‘boxes’ of plywood, which are mounted on hardware. The unique hardware allows the cuboids to rotate, slide and swivel, creating an impressive range of flexible formats suitable for all kinds of installations, large and small.
The design of the ceiling and floor is deliberate too. Lead architect Amisha Thanawala kept the pattern of floor angular with an orthogonal configuration, keeping basic geometry in mind. The space is very kinetic. There is a sheer absence of unnecessary furniture or clutter. The gallery invites you to move around.
