An office for a law firm in Mumbai is designed by Tejal Mathur to evoke a contemporary, international feel. In contrast to the old world ambience retained by many law firms, this one is crisp yet swanky.
The brief for this 20,000 sq ft office for a law firm in Peninsula Park specified a business-like yet swanky aesthetic – no rough edges and not a relaxed feel either. The sharp contemporary lines used by Tejal Mathur deliver the required panache, in consonance with an international flavour.
The visual impression which the office creates is one of complex layers of squares and rectangles of various sizes but aligned in symmetrical rows, most of which permit views into spaces beyond. Amidst this geometrical composition of intersecting straight lines, the only curves are provided by the lighting.
The large volumes and swathes of natural light have enabled the use of intense colours such as charcoal, navy and plum. “The black walls can even be used to write on,” says Tejal. The green carpet simulates a feeling of sitting on grass, while deep textures and large masses add character to the space. Monochromatic walls with white tables and work stations complete the look. Grey siporex lends a 3D effect to the surface of some walls.
There are no heavy elements and very few walls to act as visual restrictions. “Shelves of books take the place of partitions,” says Tejal. “The office doesn’t maintain a strict hierarchy, so it’s not uptight in that sense.” A large conference table has fresh plants in a recess running down its centre, to compensate for the lack of a view or greenery outside the windows. “Used as an experiment, the plants only require a spray of mist twice a week and can be removed if their presence is not appreciated. Yet, it’s a formal table…we couldn’t take away from what a law firm needs. Its width facilitates impersonal interaction between those seated around it by maintaining a distance and formality between them; so necessary for the cut and dried deals that are a part of the nature of the business conducted here.”
The ceiling has corrugated sheets which have been painted black, while the floor is tiled in shades of grey; part of the café is laid in a bold pattern of diagonally laid checks, while the rest is in stripes. The large scale of the geometrical pattern adds visual interest to the space.
Designing a space devoid of the expected leather bound tomes so associated with law firms, Tejal has created a new age office which utilises a straight lined contemporary aesthetic. Like a leitmotif, the device of porous screens segregates areas even as it permits views into other areas, while defining the aesthetic of the space throughout.
