The Jindal Private Lounge at Bikaji Cama in New Delhi has undergone a renovation. Mumbai-based ABM Architects has transformed the space into an ultra-chic, monochrome and steel swathe lit up by custom-lighting, and plenty of sunlight.
Known for their eclectic tastes and individualistic style statements, the steel barons Jindals recently opted for a complete renovation of their office building at Bikaji Cama in New Delhi. The exercise was initiated from the topmost floor that houses the board room and a private lounge, apart from a 1,000-odd sq. ft. of beautifully landscaped garden.
Working on the priorities of a well-fitted dining-cum-bar section, as well as formal and informal seating areas – all essentially without physical demarcations - formed the mainstay of the renovation. Naturally, the desired ambience is ultra-chic and propitious to entertaining high-profile guests.
“Creating a stable mass that mobilises the space from within, visually defining it, right from the spiral stairway and lift lobby, into the lounge, establishing continuity, constitutes the foremost design element; everything else works around this,” states the Riyaz Himany-led design team from Mumbai-based ABM Architects.
Since there were 4 large window-openings (much more than needed for the natural light to filter in), 2 have been shut off completely and a large expanse of wooden wall (especially crafted from Burma Teak, grooved and textured for effect and finished to appear dark umber) now takes centre-stage. A black-and-white schema was premeditated upon initially to achieve the vital avant-garde look but ultimately, the sombreness of Wenge is juxtaposed with the fragility of white. White leather sofas and dining chairs, a white Corian bar counter and white Thasos marble flooring are tastefully combined with an engineered wood floor and Wenge polish.
The fallout comes through a smart application of steel finishes. Large and small boxes of stainless steel serve as centre and side tables while the bar counter is trimmed in steel. The bar stools are made of steel and leather; a mirror-finished steel frame fitted with a back-painted glass serves as the dining table-top.
The piece-de-resistance is the customised arbitrary geometric etching done in the matt-finished stainless steel centre table-top. The recessed furrows create chiaroscuro elements that reflect restrained flamboyance. A similar etching follows an analogous rhythm on the stone-clad walls.
The swish ambience is marshalled with specially-designed mood-lighting by Spanish company, Antaris (known for its high-end commercial and retail lighting), and Louis Poulsen light fittings.
