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Mumbai, India

Boutique At Colaba

The boutique is located in a historic building in Colaba where much subdivision had mutilated the facade into unrelated fragments. As the area designated for the Boutique was being opened up, amazingly beautiful patinas of textures and colours that existed behind the boarding and below the vinyl flooring and laminated surfaces become evident.

In the process of work on the facade, an older facade was discovered – bits of which were in place. It was therefore decided to restore the facade and add elements like a rolling shutter and canopy in copper, a material that with oxidization would develop its own patinas, thereby complementing those of the existing space. Similarly, paints was burnt off the teakwood ceiling which had thus far been hidden under the false ceiling. Also, the vinyl floor was stripped away to expose a red and ochre Minton tile flooring.

A studio was inserted in the form of a mezzanine with a connecting stair. In short, the shell was restored with compatible new elements inserted carefully without conflicting with the architecture of the original space.

Completion Date: 1997

TYPOLOGY