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ethnic EpicurEan

TexT: Kruti Choksi Kothari

PHOTOS COURTeSY: Urban Studio, Lotus & Vivanta, Taj – Bekal

A new era in the hospitality

industry of the country has been

embarked with the emergence

of contemporary ethnic hotels,

spelling opulence inspired

from regional context, cultural

heritage, local materials, climatic

conditions and traditional

elements of design. The idea is

to form a space that is of the

present but informed by the past.

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contemporary interpretations of age old techniques. It has the best of both the worlds. It derives understanding from the traditional buildings of the region and generates a whole new vocabulary. The beauty of this practice lies in its sensitivity towards contextual cultural heritage, local materials, climatic conditions and traditional nuances imbibed into modern architecture.

These hotels are not a direct copy of the traditional Indian architecture. each one is a distinctive modern day hotel with an Indian soul. Let us take a deeper insight into three such hotels that are reflections of contemporary derivatives of the rich and indigenous heritage of our country in the field of art and architecture.

Devi Ratn, Lebua Resorts, Jaipur by Urban Studio, Mumbai

Ar. Pronit Nath, Urban Studio, Mumbai conjures an overwhelming design for Devi Ratn, Lebua Resort, Jaipur. It is the perfect example of modern hotel with a strong essence of the regional heritage.

The project derives inspiration for its

1. the Chakra Bar is crafted from a cylindrical object offering distorted reflections created by the patterned mirror ceiling

The striking bold colour palette derived from Emerald, Ruby, Coral and Sapphire along with metallic – Gold, Silver and Copper renders an ethnic fervour to Devi Ratn Hotel

With hectic schedules and chaotic city life, a refuge for relaxation to break the monotony of daily routine is getting inevitable in the present times. People seek for a cocoon of comfort with opulent lavishness. What was once a luxury is now a necessity! The country is flooded with high-end hotels of varying typologies such as business hotels, heritage hotels, theme resorts and many more with quotidian emergence.

India is popular for its unique cultural inheritance with a distinctive regional spirit that attracts tourists from worldwide, for a variety of explorations with strong contextual spirit. Instead of a stereotype voguish hotel, travellers nowadays prefer to stay at a luxury resort that offers an experience reflecting the regional roots.

In the ever demanding field of hospitality, innovative architects and designers have come up with ethnic hotels. The idea is to form a space that is of the present but informed by the past. Such a structure reveals an amalgamation of the ambience of revamped heritage hotels and comfort of new construction imbibing

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geometric shapes and structures from ‘Jantar Mantar,’ the royal observatory built in 1728. Devi Ratn further derives its name from “Nav Ratn,” referring to the nine pure gemstones. The striking bold colour palette derived from emerald – green, Ruby – red, Coral – orange, Sapphire – yellow along with metallic – Gold, Silver and Copper renders the project an ethnic fervour. Corresponding stones like Agra red, Bheslana marbles, sandstones and slates combined with hammered metal and mirror work concretise the theme into reality. A smart act of contriving each space with the shades and tones of a single colour adds the perfect spunk without any visual chaos.

The extent of explorations with admirations for the past is revealed in manifold aspects in every nook and corner of the hotel. For instance, the reinterpretation of a traditional temple box gives way to a toy-box that functions as a playful storage device in the suite. The surface of this multifunctional storage is bejeweled with the traditional miniature art depicting varied themes like the jungle theme for the red room and the urban theme for the yellow room.

Another clue is taken from the exquisite royal jewellery. Abstracting the traditional neckpiece into the age old local craft of ‘Thekari’ mirror work for the head board, study table and lighting pelmet embellishes the suite with a strong character.

The use of lenticular printing gives the suite a dynamic display that changes with the change in perception during movement within the room. The three dimensional glass layering of traditional miniature paintings adds depth creating an illusion as if peeping outside a window of the yesteryears. each space is differentiated through an intricately designed flooring pattern interestingly inspired from the concept of ‘Leheriya’ found in the local textiles especially used in odhanis and ghaghras of women and paaghs of men.

2. Completely composed from the red stone Jali, the lobby area is animated by dramatic play of light and shadows

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“each pattern combines the aesthetics of the present with the emotional values of the past and forms an eclectic language which has been used throughout the project, ranging from the architectural scale of façades, jalis, walls, flooring to the interior and product scale of accessories, cutlery and textiles,” elucidates Ar. Pronit Nath. Jali is a traditional shading device elementary for Rajasthani architecture. Designed with varying tessellations, the

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scale, density and porosity of the jalis are changed to respond to the programmatic needs but its original hand carved nature remains. It hence becomes the skin of the entire project giving the façades much of their elegance. The iconic pattern of the Amer Fort Wall, located in the vicinity, is transposed without any changes in proportion on the metal grill at the pool-side restaurant.

The monolithic Sila conference room is a

white marble cube neatly inserted into a courtyard. The Chakra Bar is crafted from a cylindrical object offering distorted reflections created by the patterned mirror ceiling. At Vajra restaurant, a marvel of modern architecture and engineering, the profile of arch is derived with calculative considerations wherein each dining table is placed exactly under a dome leaving a comfortable service passage around. Its domes have been faceted and painted with metallic

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3. Abstracting the traditional royal jewelry into the local craft of ‘Thekari’ mirror work embellishes the suite

4. each space is differentiated through an intricately designed flooring pattern inspired from the concept of Leheriya

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colours, gold and silver, to reflect the glory of past.

Vivanta by Taj – Bekal by Grounds Kent Architects

The brief of Dinesh Khanna (executive Director, Vivanta, Taj-Bekal, Kerala) to Grounds Kent Architects (GKA) was to design a villa style resort offering a strong sense of the architecture, context and natural charm of the site in Kerala. Bekal is a lesser developed region offering mesmerising unadulterated beauty. The idea was to develop a captivating experience for the guests through a design that unites nature with architecture. A dialogue between the traditional and contemporary facets of design makes the resort truly rooted to its context.

On arrival at the resort, the guest is greeted by an open lobby with a direct connection to the water gardens and landscaping. Custom-

5. At Vivanta taj-Bekal, the stylish rooms, inspired from Kettuvalom house boats, are a melange of strong essence of the local ethos with a sense of space reflecting natural elements

The architecture of Vivanta, Taj – Bekal is inspired by the ‘Kettuvalom’ house boats that strongly feature in the imagery of the region

made bronze chandeliers nestle against a magnificently arched ceiling, reflecting light onto a stone floor with a handcrafted mosaic pattern. A large copper and gold leaf mural completes the picture.

When Martin Grounds, from GKA, first visited the region in 2005, he was immediately impressed by the ‘Kettuvalom’ house boats that strongly feature in the imagery of the location. Following an extensive research, he decided to imbibe this form evidently into their design. Local craftsmen were employed to build the structures to achieve a high degree of regional authenticity. This completely hand woven bamboo element not only adds to the aesthetics but also renders a strong cultural reference of the region. On completion, it acts as the identifying feature of the resort.

The stylish rooms offer private plunge

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pool, courtyard, an outdoor dining area, rain shower and a soak tub. Sanskrit-inspired artworks form full-scale wall murals in each room further adorned with carved timber screens, fabric motifs, custom made lanterns, day-bed swings and vaulted ceilings.

Tropical climate of the region provided the perfect opportunity for the architecture to unleash and subtly flow into the open. Considering the flood-like circumstances arising during tropical monsoons, the architects inculcated large expanse of open gardens and terraces at varying levels. Thereby this design is a melange of strong essence of the local ethos with a sense of space reflecting natural elements.

The entire layout has a strong axial arrangement. The central buildings housing major facilities are arranged on a strong axis through the property, down the river, terminating with a bridge over the river that leads to the Grande Jiva Spa. Renowned landscape designer, Made Wijaya from Bali further emphasises the axial geometry by the tactful placement of water gardens rendering freshness and serenity to the overall ambience. A jaw-dropping setting created with alluring water features, sprawling gardens and ambient lighting are embellished with strategically placed sculptures and artworks.

With Vastushastra dictating the

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6. sanskrit inspired murals and paintings, adorn the walls of the rooms

7. Vivanta is a resort offering a strong sense of architecture, context and natural charm of the site in Kerala

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8. the idea of Raas Jodhpur, was to retain a sense of connection with the old city and yet create the feeling of being in an oasis within the hustle and bustle of things

architecture of the spa, water bodies are made integral, essentially for their therapeutic sounds and calming visual effects. The real high point of this retreat is indisputabley the Ayurveda Sanctuary, built by the backwaters to resemble the home of vaidya (Ayurveda Physician). Facilitated with Satvik dining lounge, courtyards, landscaped relaxation spaces, meditation nooks, a full fledged wellness library and water bodies, this tranquil pocket of wellness guarantees the perfect ambiance for rejuvenation.

Latitude, the all-day dining restaurant is a flexible interior space with unobstructed views of the breathtaking backwaters. The standalone Ivory Bar is a majestic, dome shaped island that pays tribute to one of the most idolised creatures in India – the elephant. At the entrance, the guests are greeted with a hand carved stone mural depicting two elephants with their trunks spouting water into a moat. Borrowing from the main design, the doors have the archetypal curved ‘Kettuvallam’ arches, and a gorgeous hand painted, full-height wall mural. The images for the murals have been taken from traditional

illustrated palm leaf manuscripts called Chitra-Pothi and hand painted by Indian artist Christopher Fernandes.

Raas, Jodhpur by Lotus Praxis Initiative

Set in the heart of the walled city of Jodhpur, at the base of the monumental Mehrangarh Fort, Raas is a luxury boutique hotel designed by the Lotus Praxis Initiative. The property was inherited with three decrepit structures dating back to17th – 18th century. Unlike the usual contemporary practice, Ambrish Arora and Rajiv Majumdar of Lotus decided to restore and readapt these old structures instead of demolishing them to give way to newer buildings.

The idea was to retain a sense of connection with the old city and yet create the feeling of being in an oasis within the hustle and bustle of things. The core concept was to offer the visitors a tactile, sensual and authentic experience of living within the historical context of the old city of Jodhpur. This guided the planning and placement

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The monochromatic palette of the local Jodhpur sandstone in its varying hues and textures used at Raas visually connects the hotel with the majestic Mehrangarh Fort at the backdrop

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of the new structures. The sense of meandering through the narrow bye- lanes of the walled blue city has been extended into the property through the architectural planning. The new hotel

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wing acts like a second gate that holds on to the dramatic reveal as the guest enters the main courtyard.The old buildings have been painstakingly restored in the original materials such as lime mortar and Jodhpur sandstone by traditional local craftsmen. Owing to their smaller footprint, the old buildings house public amenities like pool, dining areas, spa, open lounge along with three splendid heritage suites.

The new buildings are designed as double skinned structures, with the outer skin being a breathing stone lattice wall that keeps out heat and a deep recessed inner skin of glass. The traditional stone latticed jharokha, an integral element of Rajasthani architecture, is known to perform multiple functions of passive cooling along with offering privacy to the users. After several explorations, a light and contemporary graphical design was developed for the screens which act as a rich tactile backdrop for

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Lotus lotus@lotuslink.in www.lotuslink.in

Urban Studio ustudioindia@gmail.com www.urbanstudioindia.com

Grounds Kent Architects www.gkaperth.com

the restored heritage structures without overpowering them. each screen panel was hand cut on site from large slabs of locally available Jodhpur sandstone. The challenge was to make one side of the perforated stone lattice façade open up to offer uninterrupted views of the Fort and simultaneously be closed for passive cooling and privacy. A folding-sliding system in metal and stone was developed to allow easy movement of these heavy panels.

The monochromatic palette of the local Jodhpur sandstone in its varying hues and textures visually connects the hotel with the majestic Fort at the backdrop. As most of the rooms provide a framed view of the Fort, an illusion of being in an extended part of the heritage building is created.

70 per cent of the materials and manpower used on site have been sourced locally, most within a 30 km radius thereby making it a truly sustainable design. The hot water in guest rooms is solar heated. The air-conditioning system, Variable Refrigerant Volume based, is one of the greenest technologies currently available for air-

conditioning. All the rainwater on the site is harvested through pits that are an integral part of the landscape. 100 per cent of the wastewater generated at site is reused using a sewage treatment plant. Locally crafted furniture and cabinets done in Sheesham wood (a local Indian hardwood) adorn the opulent interiors.

It is appreciative to see architects developing an interest towards the study of Indian heritage architecture and gathering derivatives applicable to modern architectural buildings. Such an approach is more relevant and authentic as it is not a copy of some foreign building or designer with no contextual reference to our land and lifestyle. This embarks a new era not only in hospitality design but in architecture that shall be enriched with the learning from our own rich past.•

9. A light and contemporary graphical design is developed for the stone screens which act as a rich tactile backdrop for the restored heritage structures without overpowering them

10. the new buildings are designed as double skinned structures, with the outer skin being a breathing stone lattice wall and a deep recessed inner skin of glass

11. the core concept of Raas was to offer an experience of living within the historial context of the old city of Jodhpur