No building or interior design scheme worth its salt in Rajasthan will eschew being happily inspired by the traditional jali format. Neither does this one. Except that architect Sanjay Puri turns the form into a giant apostrophe-shaped façade made up of perforated screens. This is a 6-level corporate office, but it really could have housed any organization of activity because its structural integrity is strong enough to be detached from the people it houses.
In spite of the harsh demands on its area (only 326 sq. metre per floor was available after mandatory open spaces), there have been no cutting down on its grandeur. Fountains form its foreground and the screens let in plenty of natural light and shadows to make the interiors perennially dynamic. But underneath the entire visual spectacle is an energy-efficient office that is essential in a hot city like Jaipur. The glass reinforced concrete screens and the many plants on all floors, shield the insides from the intense heat through the year. Sanjay Puri Architects’ mission here seems to have been simple – build a really cool office space, literally and figuratively.
